A 25-year-old man from Potters has accepted responsibility and entered a guilty plea to four out of five charges when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Dexter Wason in the St John’s Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The accused, who was employed as a caretaker, stated that the property owner allegedly belittled, verbally abused, and mistreated him throughout the two and a-half months of his employment.
He admitted guilt to charges of larceny, being armed with an offensive weapon, verbal assault, and using threatening language. However, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of battery, and the complainant later confirmed that she was not assaulted.
The defendant told the court that all he wanted was his wages, so after he became frustrated when he was denied payment and the disrespectful manner in which it was communicated, he took a meat cleaver and approached his employer. He clarified that his intention was not to attack, but to intimidate her due to his anger and lack of payment.
He said that after other employees intervened, he entered her vehicle and took $250, which he claimed was owed to him.
The disgruntled worker also told the court that his girlfriend is expecting a child, and he observed a high turnover rate at the establishment but chose to remain due to his responsibilities.
However, the complainant alleged that he stole $1,200 from her vehicle instead of $250, and despite having previous discussions with him, he failed to complete his assigned tasks. She stated that on the day of the incident, she had no intention of terminating him; however, she admitted to asking him to leave for the day before the situation escalated.
Magistrate Wason expressed his approval of the man’s acceptance of all charges, along with the defendant’s not-guilty plea on the charge of battery.
Having been acquitted of the remaining three charges, the defendant was ordered to pay $1,200 within 30 days, otherwise he will be subjected to one month of imprisonment for larceny.
