fined for stabbing neighbour

A 55-YEAR-OLD Penal man was ordered by a San Fernando High Court judge to pay $5,000 compensation to a housewife whom he stabbed in the neck five years ago. Sagar Kowlessar, of Scott’s Road, was also fined $2,000 for the wounding incident and ordered to keep the peace for two years.

Kowlessar was handed the sentence when he came before Justice Malcolm Holdip in the Third Criminal Assizes yesterday. Kowlessar, represented by attorney Subhas Panday, was charged with attempting to murder Happijan Mohammed on June 14, 1998. On Wednesday, when the accused appeared in court, he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of wounding with intent and State Prosecutor Bramhanan Dubay accepted the plea. Yesterday in passing sentence, Justice Holdip condemned the attack on “a woman who didn’t even provoke you (Kowlessar).”

The judge said, “The court takes a strict view of this type of behaviour where people use violence to settle disputes.” Justice Holdip said he was mindful to impose a jail term for the crime but ordered the non-custodial sentence after considering the mitigating factors put forward by Panday that Kowlessar was the father of seven children and was a first-time offender. According to the State’s evidence, Kowlessar inflicted a 7-cm laceration on Mohammed’s neck for which she received 22 stitches at hospital to close the stab wound which was inflicted on June 14, 1998.