Magistrate gives teen a chance to do good

Magistrate Rickie Burnett has placed a 16-year-old Fancy resident on a one-year bond in an attempt to keep him out of trouble.

Mocasa Bowman was charged with assault causing bodily harm on Okeno Fergus at Fancy on May 5.

When he appeared before the Georgetown Magistrate’s court on July 24, Fergus told the court he was seated in front of a yard when Bowman walked up to him holding a Sunset rum bottle in one hand and a Stone’s wine bottle in the other.

According to Fergus, Bowman then asked him if he thought he was a badman, before pelting the first bottle, which missed. When the second bottle was thrown, Fergus turned to dodge and was struck in his back causing injuries.

The court heard that Fergus then picked up the bottle and proceeded to run after Bowman who fled to his grandmother’s cook shop.

In his testimony, Bowman claimed that Fergus’ statement was untrue as he had two Sparrow’s bottles in his hands. He told the court that Fergus was in the habit of threatening him.

When asked by Magistrate Burnett why he never reported that to the police, Bowman replied “I wasn’t ready.”

Burnett was about to impose a 6 pm curfew with a six-month prison sentence in default when Prosecutor Delroy Tittle told the magistrate that he believed that Bowman would be arrested by the end of the week for breaking the curfew. He further suggested that Bowman be placed on community service instead.

The magistrate agreed and Bowman was placed on a one-year bond of $1000, three months community service at the Owia police station and also ordered the police at Owia to take Bowman to the Mental Health Centre so he could see the young men who ended up there as a result of drug abuse.

At the end of his trial, as Bowman sat waiting to sign his bond, he hung his head and wept.(CJ)