Man harms another with cutlass

A native of the neighbouring US Virgin Islands who reportedly attacked another man with a cutlass was remanded in custody yesterday when he appeared in a British Virgin Islands court.

Moments earlier, Treh Williams pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm, and being armed with an offensive weapon.

Reports from the prosecution are that, about 8am on February 1, the offender went to a car wash in Road Town where the complainant Reynoldo Hewlett works.

He asked Hewlett about the whereabouts of a certain woman, but Hewlett said he did not know.

The court heard that Williams left the area.

Shortly afterwards, he returned and reportedly approached Hewlett from behind and slapped him across the shoulder with the flat of a cutlass.

It is reported that Hewlett immediately ran.

The offender gave chase while still clutching the weapon.

The court was told that Hewlett armed himself with a rock to defend himself. Williams subsequently dropped the cutlass and ran away.

Hewlett sustained a ‘long’ laceration to his left shoulder, and was treated at Peebles Hospital, the court heard.
Williams was arrested the following day.

In court, the offender explained to Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards that he attacked Hewlett because Hewlett started to ‘hyperventilate’ in a threatening manner during their conversation on the day in question.

“I honestly thought he was going to do me something [and] so I protected myself,” Williams told the court.

He will be sentenced on February 16.