Man pleads guilty to chopping 64-y-o in sweeping row
Published:Wednesday | July 7, 2021 | 12:11 AM
A young man who admitted to chopping a senior citizen in her head, claiming she swept rubbish on him, had his station bail revoked when appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old blockmaker, Kevaugh Prendergast, of Burnside district, Red Hills, St Andrew, lost his freedom after the 64-year-old complainant reported that he has threatened to kill her and since the incident has been lurking around her shop with his friends.
The shopkeeper also told the court that she fears for her life and is planning to leave the community.
But Parish Judge Lori Ann Cole-Montague, arguing that the victim should not be the one whose life is disrupted, told Prendergast that he will have to live elsewhere until the complainant relocates.
As result, he was remanded until Thursday when he is to return to update the court regarding the new address.
The complainant, who received nine stitches in her head, earlier told the court that she was requesting $300,000, but Prendergast indicated that he only had $20,000.
Hence, the judge instructed him to contact his relatives and to make preparation to have $280,000 in court on Thursday as well.
The court heard that on June 18, the complainant was sweeping in front of her shop when Prendergast walked by and complained that some of the rubbish had caught him.
He left and returned 10 minutes later with a cutlass and chopped the complainant in her head.
The injured woman sought medical attention and later reported the matter to the police and Prendergast was arrested and charged.
After the facts were outlined, Prendergast pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.
“What a vicious attack!” Judge Cole-Montague said.
The complainant then interjected and told the court, “Him chop off a mi two times, but the second one didn’t catch me.”
“Him say a mi neck him come fa and mi lucky,” she added.
But Prendergast denied threatening to chop the complainant’s neck.
“That’s a lie. Mi never say anything,” he said.