Convict drops charge against his attorney

However, special State prosecutor Bindra Dolsingh wants the court to increase convicted chopper Dale Aberdeen’s six-year sentence.

Aberdeen had alleged that attorney Keith Scotland had pressured him into pleading guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He charged that Scotland made him believe that he would be placed on a bond and not jailed if he pleaded guilty.

However, when Aberdeen appeared before trial judge Justice Joan Charles, she sentenced him to six years hard labour.

When the matter was called yesterday before Justices Margot Wagner, Ivor Archie and Paula Mae Weeks, Aberdeen’s attorney Ravi Rajcoomar told the court that he had received written instructions from his client to withdraw the one ground of appeal which cast aspersion on Scotland’s character.

However, Rajcoomar asked the court to have the sentence start from date of conviction, which will be August 9, 2004. Dolsingh hinted that he wanted the sentence to be increased, but the court indicated that it would deal with that matter on a date to be fixed in February 2006.

The charges were based on a chopping that arose out of a domestic quarrel.

Aberdeen had a common-law relationship with Hazel Frederick, and the couple had a child. At the time of the incident the child, Adelia was seven months old.

Frederick had taken out a restraining order against Aberdeen. On June 25, 2003, at 5.30 pm, Frederick was walking Adelia in the company of her brother-in-law and his 12-year-old daughter.

Aberdeen accosted Frederick saying, "All yuh put me in court and now all yuh make them take out a warrant for me." He then drew a cutlass from a bag. Frederick appealed to Aberdeen that she had the baby in her hands, but he replied, " I don’t f.....g care." Aberdeen then launched an attack on Frederick during which she dropped the baby.

He chopped Frederick several times. According to the medical report, Frederick sustained a laceration to the right side of her forehead; a deep cut on the right thigh, two chops on the right arm, one chop on the elbow joint, another to the top of her shoulder, and a cut to the lip. There were also cuts to two fingers on her left hand. She was hospitalised for three days.