Man fined $3,000 for damaging maxi taxi

A Williamsville man was yesterday fined $3,000 and ordered to pay $2,500 in compensation to a maxi-taxi driver. In default of these payments, Rishi Gopie, 23, would serve six months imprisonment with hard labour, as ordered by acting deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Well-ington. Gopie appeared in the first court and pleaded guilty to wounding driver Harry Dass, 60, and damaging Dass’ maxi-taxi on April 2. Following the incident PC Ramkhe-lewan charged Gopie with malicious wounding and also malicious damage to the maxi taxi. Cpl Wendell Fernando prosecuted the matter.

Cpl Fernando told the court that around 7.10 am on April 2, Dass was seated in his maxi-taxi in Williamsville, while Gopie was standing at the front of Dass’ vehicle with bottles in his hands. Gopie threw one of the bottles which struck and damaged the windscreen of the maxi. Another bottle was thrown, which struck Dass in his head. PC Ramkhelewan intervened and arrested Gopie. Dass was taken to San Fernando General Hospital for treatment and had to undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to determine the extent of the injuries to his head.

Gopie, of Corosal Road in Whitelands, was represented by Dushant Persad Maraj, who told the magistrate that his client was, at the time of the incident, “heavily intoxicated.” Maraj asked for a fine to be imposed on Gopie who, prior to the incident, was just released from prison. Wellington ordered Gopie to pay a fine of $3,000 and compensate Dass the sum of $2,500, $2,000 of which was to be paid immediately on both the fine and compensation.