‘I would have shot you’, says Chief Magistrate Sonya Young

Had Grafton McDowall attempted to do at the Serious Offences Court what he did at the Kingstown Magistrates Court, he would have been shot.{{more}}

On March 8, McDowall had covered himself in his own faeces and attempted to throw it at a police officer.

“I don’t know what I would have done. I would have shot you. I can’t imagine the nastiness. If that was my court, I would have pulled my gun and shoot you!” declared Chief Magistrate Sonya Young yesterday.

McDowall, a vendor of Rillan Hill, pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody and was convicted yesterday of assaulting PC 597 Shamrock Pierre and damaging a police regulation cap, property of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

For escaping police custody, McDowall was sentenced to one year in jail. He was ordered to pay $155 compensation for the cap, a month after his release, or go back to jail for one month. On the assault charge, he was sentenced to three months. The sentences will run concurrently.

At the trial yesterday, PC Pierre told the court that around 11:30 a.m., he was on duty at the Kingstown Magistrates Court when McDowall was brought there on a number of charges. He said McDowall was convicted and sentenced to two months imprisonment.

Following his sentence, McDowall began making noise in the dock and was told to be quiet. Inspector Glenford Gregg then instructed Pierre to remove him from the court in handcuffs. He was taken outside to the reception area, where he asked to use the washroom.

Pierre said the man indicated that he wanted to defecate. After using the facility, Pierre said he noticed McDowall was coming out and did not hear the sound of a toilet flushing.

“I ask why he didn’t flush it and soon after I notice he went back into toilet and tried to flush the toilet with his elbow,” Pierre told the court.

As McDowall was coming out of the washroom, Pierre said he noticed that he had faeces in his right hand.

“He raised his hand and attempted to throw on me, but because I was alert I blocked him with my left hand and as a result faeces drop on my regulation boot and cap,” Pierre testified.

He added that McDowall continued advancing towards him, so he struck him with his baton.

“I had to inflict couple blows on him. He took the rest faeces and painted himself. Your worship, he went back into washroom and then later, I saw him in the Senior Magistrate’s bathroom,” he said.

McDowall managed to make good on his escape. Pierre said he went back to the washroom and noticed there was a hole under the sink, leading to Senior Magistrate’s bathroom.

Under cross-examination by Inspector Adolphus Delpesche, McDowall told the court he placed faeces on himself because he was locked up for something that he did not do.

After bringing him guilty, Chief Magistrate Young said she can’t imagine why a fully grown man would cover himself in faeces.

“You are lucky you only ended up with a chop in your head. You have messed with the sanctity of the court…I was wondering how you were still alive; I know you would have been shot up here (Serious Offences Court). If I had found you in my chamber, in my bathroom, you would have been dead,” Magistrate Young told McDowall.

McDowall apologised for his actions and begged for leniency.

“I want to tell the whole courts that I am sorry; I want tell the officer that I am very sorry for what I done to the government’s courts…,” McDowall stated.

McDowall told the court that he was hit in his head a lot and that he dropped out of school in Kindergarten.

“I used to get lash in me head plenty. Me ain’t really ha no upstairs..,” he said.(KW)