Man inflicts chop wounds on childhood friend

ONE MANWAS ORDERED to pay for his animalistic behaviour, in delivering three chops to his longtime friend over a disagreement about his dog, at the end of a trial last Tuesday.

Jomerlay Parris had previously been charged, and pleaded not guilty, to the wounding of VINLEC employee Ronnie David on September 30 of last year.

The two men had apparently never been in an altercation before then, and they have known each other since they were in primary school. However, resentment had sunken its teeth into their friendship; Parris bristling at the treatment he received from David’s canine.

On September 30, Parris was apparently on his way home, and David’s dog rushed after him. Parris said he threw a stone at the dog and continued walking. David, realizing what had happened, came outside after him and the two exchanged words.

Parris, who lived up the road from David, reached home, changed, and decided to head back out at 4:30 a.m., for what he said was to buy a Busta. In order to buy this Busta, his brother accompanied him, and Parris also took along a cutlass.

David had been sitting on a wall further down the road with his dog.

The stories vary on what happened after this, Parris saying that the dog rushed out at him, he tried to chop the dog and David jumped off the wall and got in the way. Parris said that while wrestling with cutlass in his hand, David received two other chops.

David on the other hand, spoke of being held by approximately four persons and being chopped by Parris, on his left wrist, eye and right shoulder.

The complainant spoke of his injuries when he was on stand, looking sadly at his left wrist which had required surgery, and saying without moving his eyes away from it, that he could not move it upwards anymore. “No matter how hard I try,” he said, with a heavy voice and giving a small sigh afterwards.

On the stand, he said he was able to recognize who chopped him, because he had known Parris since primary school, and he was right up in his face.

Parris accused David of being drunk that night and not knowing where he was chopped. David, in response, said he had had two beers, but wasn’t drunk.

Parris’ story was less strong under cross examination. At one time the defendant had said that he took the cutlass because he had been arguing with David, at another, he said he took the cutlass with him because of the dog.

“Dog name boy nuh?” Prosecutor Corlene Samuel asked him.

“Your brother custom follow you to buy juice?” she asked him. Parris replied no, but because the argument had come up, he did.

Parris had said he had walked on the same side of the road that David was sitting. Therefore, Samuel commented, “You and a man just had a confrontation… you afraid of the dog, but you walk right next to the dog…that’s what you want the court to believe?”

The trial also saw police officers as witnesses and the defendant’s brother.

Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett found Parris guilty and fined him $2,500, $1,500 to be paid forthwith and the rest by June 29. Any compensation was ordered to be sought civilly.