Barman guilty of wounding in pool hall fracas

Sangre Grande barman Shayam Mohan, who was charged with wounding Darrin Beharry over a game of pool with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, was found guilty yesterday on the lesser count of malicious wounding. Mohan’s attorney Ulric Skerritt asked the court to order a probation officer’s report on him before passing sentence. Skerritt, instructed by Dawn Mohan, said the report would assist the court in determining whether a custodial sentence would be necessary. State prosecutor Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo did not object, and trial judge Justice Joan Charles made the order. However, Waterman-Latchoo asked the court to put certain requirements in place as the court was reminded to allow Mohan’s bail to continue while awaiting the report.

There was no objection from Skerritt and Justice Charles ordered Mohan, who now lives in Curepe, to report to the St Joseph Police Station every Saturday at 10 am. Mohan and his lawyers will return to court on September 20, when the judge will pass sentence on him, after studying the report. Mohan, 21, found himself on the wrong end of the law when he took a full bottle of beer and smashed it on Beharry’s left cheek. Mohan admitted smashing Beharry with the bottle, but said it was in self-defence. The fracas took place at Club Gemini on February 8 2003, at Eastern Main Road, Sangre Grande. The men had argued about whether they should gamble for money, beer, oral sex or a fight. Mohan denied he had suggested that Beharry perform oral sex on him if he were to win a game of pool.