A Guyanese national was handed over to immigration officials yesterday after appearing in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on an assault charge, the online news agency, Barbados Today, has reported.
The 48-year-old farmer of Apartment #1 Arrindell, Government Hill, St Michael, who only goes by the name Mankad, pleaded guilty to the offence, which occurred on Septem
ber 17.
According to the facts read by police prosecutor Sergeant Neville Watson, Mankad was sitting on a bus next to a teenaged girl when he placed his hand on her thigh and caressed it. The teenager reportedly pushed his hand away and moved to a different section on the bus before taking a picture and alerting her mother about the situation.
It was the girl’s mother who contacted police.
The teen later pointed out the accused man, who was in Speightstown at the time, to police.
However, Mankad, who said he only has vision in his right eye and was on his way to sell hammocks when the incident occurred, told Magistrate Douglas Frederick that he did not mean the girl any harm, according to Barbados Today.
He admitted to touching the young lady, but said the mistake occurred when the bus turned and he was left struggling to hold on to “three big bags”.
The magistrate then called the virtual complainant to the stand, accompanied by her parents, and explained what Mankad had said before the Guyanese man offered an apology.
“I am sorry . . . I just come to make a dollar, I didn’t mean to do no harm to you,” Mankad said, to which Frederick replied: “As a young girl she did what was right and her parents took the necessary action.”
Mankad was reprimanded and discharged before he was handed over to immigration.
