Accused committed for choking robbery victim

Boatswain, 39, was yesterday told, upon his committal by Senior Magistrate Margaret Alert in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court, that he is to avoid contact with the victim, Mawasi Williams, 26, as he awaits his trial.

Alert had been conducting a preliminary inquiry since 2014 on two charges against Boatswain namely larceny of a gold chain and attempting to choke.

The maximum sentence for the latter charge, if found guilty, 15 years in jail.

It was in 2007 when Boatswain, of Gasparillo, was first charged with the offence of robbery with aggravation, in which he was alleged to have attacked Williams, also of Gasparillo, at her home on May 24.

As a result of the attack, Williams is paralysed from the waist down.

She is unable to use her hands as well.

The State, however, dropped that charge and replaced it with a new charge under the Offences Against the Persons Act, that Boatswain attempted to choke, strangle or suffocate with intent to enable himself to rob Williams.

The charges were laid by Corporal Narine Bisnath of the Southern Division Task Force.

The inquiry continued before Alert in which State Attorney, Sarah De Silva, called ten witnesses including Williams who is a mother of one.

Doctors Robin Sinanan, Ravindra Narine and Robert Naidike also testified for the Prosecution.

Yesterday, the case was called during the afternoon session and, following submissions by De Silva and Boatswain’s attorney Cedric Neptune, Alert informed the defendant that a prima facie case had been made out against him.

Alert granted him fresh bail in the sum of $100,000.