Twenty – Seven – year old Dion Braithwaite of Durban Street Georgetown today pleaded not guilty to damage to property and assault causing actual bodily harm charges before Magistrate Judy Latchman.
The court was told that on July 28 at the Georgetown Prison, Braithwaite assaulted Odetta Melville, a prison nurse and in the process damaged her uniform; property of the Guyana Prison Service.
Police prosecutor Vishnu Hunt told the court that Braithwaite was at the prison when he sustained injuries and that Melville was summoned to attend to his injuries. The prosecutor said Braithwaite however refused to be treated and broke a bulb and held onto the virtual complainant, who was thereby injured.
When asked by the Magistrate if he had anything to say, Braithwaite replied that he was accused of being insane and that at the time of the incident Melville was about to give him an injection for his behavior.
Based on the fact that the accused committed the offence while in lawful custody, the prosecutor objected to bail. Braithwaite was represented by Attorney – at – law Paul Fung-A-Fat, who made an application for bail noting that his client was severely beaten and if he is to return to the facility the assault may continue.
The Magistrate granted bail in the sum of $20,000 for the damage to property charge and $70,000 for the assault. Braithwaite will return to court on September 05. [Royan Abrams]
