BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Dec 23 2016 – A 23-year-old Guyanese visitor escaped remand yesterday following a strong appeal made by his attorney.
Kieon Anthony Gritten who currently resides at Tichbourne, Howell’s Road, St Michael went before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court charged with causing serious bodily harm to Simon Forde with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him or to do some serious bodily harm to him.
Gritten was not required to plead to the offence, which allegedly occurred on December 17, 2016.
Prosecutor Rudy Pilgrim objected to bail on several grounds, including the seriousness of the offence.
Pilgrim revealed that the complainant was still hospitalized and had to undergo surgery.
“My instruction Sir, is that the complainant is blind in the left eye. We don’t know how the complainant’s status will turn out. He is coherent in his speech, but somewhat immobile at this stage,” Pilgrim said.
He also pointed out that Gritten’s return to court might be problematic, since he is due to return to Guyana on January 12 next year, having arrived here in July.
However, Gritten’s attorney Andrew Pilgrim, QC, who appeared with Kamisha Benjamin, argued that “at a bare minimum it is a dispute between two men at a bar and both are injured”.
“My understanding Sir . . . is that all injuries that were imparted to either party [were] done hand to hand, other than the complainant being armed with a rock.
“What I understand is that an operation has to be done to see if his sight . . . can be saved,” the veteran lawyer argued, as he pointed to the seriousness of the charge.
Pilgrim also said Gritten spends six months here each year since his mother and siblings live in Barbados.
“As it is right now most of his family and ties are in Barbados,” Pilgrim said.
Magistrate Douglas Frederick granted the accused man bail in the sum of $10,000 with one surety, and ordered him to return to court on January 9, 2017.
However, he was asked to surrender his passport and to seek permission from the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before leaving the jurisdiction.
Gritten was also ordered to report the District ‘A’ Police Station in Station Hill, every Wednesday before 10 a.m. (Barbados TODAY)
