Man slapped with machete during fight at shop

Christopher Thomas, Contributor

WESTERN BUREAU:A St James man who admitted to slapping another man with a machete after accusing him of stealing his money, was ordered to pay a fine.

Tafari Townsend of a Granville address pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm against Randall Gilling and also to possession of an offensive weapon. He was instructed to pay $3,000 or spend five days behind bars on the offensive weapon charge, while he will be sentenced on the assault charge at a later date.

Although the date of the alleged attack was not disclosed, the court was told that Townsend and Gilling were at a Cash Pot shop in Granville when an argument developed between them. Townsend subsequently slapped Gilling with the machete, injuring him.

"Why did you hit him (Gilling)?" Resident Magistrate Carolyn Tie asked Townsend.

"My money had dropped, so he took it up and I asked him to give it to me, and he did not want to give it to me," Townsend said.

"We went into collision (fight) because he accused me of stealing $1,000 and he beat me with a machete...I got charged with assault," Gilling told the court.

RM Tie subsequently fined Townsend on the weapon charge and instructed both men to return to court in relation to the assault charge.