Alvin Melville, the man who partially lost his vision and hearing after he was severely beaten in the head with a hammer by a relative, has told the High Court he is willing to accept compensation, which will go towards financing further corrective surgeries.
Melville made this disclosure through a probation officer, who on Thursday presented a probation report on 49-year-old Compton Fecker, called “Chappy”, who was found guilty by a jury of feloniously wounding Melville, his son’s father-in-law.
Fecker, a fish vendor, was initially indicted for attempted murder. The jury, however, returned a guilty verdict for the lesser count of feloniously wounding. As a result, Fecker was remanded to prison pending sentencing as his lawyer, Adrian Thompson, requested that a probation report be compiled on his client. Judge Brassington Reynolds did not impose sentencing on Thursday, since the court wanted to have a victim impact statement from Melville.
The victim was supposed to appear in court via Zoom, but efforts to have this done proved futile. In the circumstances, sentencing for Fecker was further adjourned until March 22, 2021. According to facts presented by Prosecutor Seeta Bishundial, on March 19, 2015, in the county of Essequibo, the men had an argument during which Fecker pulled out a hammer and dealt Melville several blows to the head.
The injured man collapsed to the ground and was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital. Owing to the extent of his injuries, he had to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he remained hospitalised for days.
The probation report revealed that Fecker had a bad temper especially when he was under the influence of alcohol. The probation officer said that residents in his neighbourhood related that his actions were uncalled for since there were other means to settle the dispute. According to the probation officer, Melville disclosed that as a result of the beating he has partially lost vision and hearing.
Apart from this, the probation officer said that Melville related that he also suffered a fractured skull for which he has to undergo further surgery and suffered from constant headaches which make it difficult for him to sleep. The victim said that as a result of his injuries, he has been unable to work to provide for his family. The probation officer told the court that Melville indicated that he was willing to accept monetary compensation which he would use for his medical bills.
The probation officer noted that Fecker’s actions were unwarranted and he should have reported the incident to the relevant authorities. As such, the probation officer asked the court to adjudicate the matter in such a way that vulnerable people would feel protected by the justice system.
