Jomarlo “Marlo” Dember is adamant that he only struck his victim once in the head with a bottle.

The victim, however, sustained a wound during the altercation, which required 43 stiches.{{more}}

Yesterday at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, Dember, a resident of Rillan Hill, was found guilty of wounding fellow villager, Brian McKie.

Dember was sentenced to six months in jail.

During the trial, McKie told the court he was at the Leeward Bus Terminal area at a bar when Dember came there and began arguing with him.

McKie said he did not trouble Dember, but Dember took a bottle and began beating him about his head. He said another man who was there with Dember also began to beat him about his body with a piece of board.

McKie told the court that he was beaten until he reached the plant shop, just opposite the Agricultural Input Warehouse on Lower Bay Street.

According to McKie, he had to place his shirt over his head to cushion the blows. A heavily scarred McKie showed the court the extent of the injuries he sustained to his face and head.

In a police statement given by Dember, he said he was in the same area at the Leeward Bus Terminal when McKie came and took up his drink without his consent.

Dember said an argument began and it was when McKie and another man held him by his shirt, that he struck McKie with the bottle once in his head.

Further, in that statement, Dember said McKie had threatened to “blow my head off.”(KW)