A High Court judge says that citizens in this country are far too often resorting to violence to resolve disputes.
“What is it that makes you behave violently in a situation?” Justice Maria Wilson asked, yesterday, in passing sentence against four people convicted of assault.
“Is it ego? Is it insecurity? Do you feel like the bigger person, the boss, by beating someone up?
“T&T have become a violent society. For whatever reasons, people now resort to violence to solve disputes,” she said.
In court, relatives of David Walker wept yesterday as he was sent to jail for 18 months on a charge of wounding, one week before Christmas.
In handing down the sentence, Wilson said one of the main aggravating factors in the case was the prevalence of violence in T&T.
Walker, a father of seven, seemed stunned when the sentence was handed down by Wilson in the San Fernando Third Assizes Court yesterday.
On November 19, Walker, 33, was found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Karol Wong on March 10, 2005.
His aunt, Joanne Walker, and their neighbours, Bert Pierre and Joel Osbourne, were all found guilty of the lesser charge of unlawful wounding. Joanne and Osbourne were also found guilty of common assault on Wong’s brother Kyle Wong.
On the first charge, Joanne, 45, was ordered to pay $2,000 on or before March 31 next year and was placed on a $2,000 bond to keep the peace for two years. If she fails to pay the fine, she will spend two months in jail.
On the second charge, she was also placed on a bond of $1,000 to keep the peace for two years.
Pierre was fined $3,500, to be paid on or before May 30 next year, or serve six months simple imprisonment in default.
He was also placed on a $2,000 bond to keep the peace for two years.
Osbourne, 35, was fined $2,000 to be paid on or before March 31 next year. In default, he will serve two months simple imprisonment.
He too was placed on a $2,000 bond to keep the peace for two years. On the second charge, he was placed on a $1,000 bond to keep the peace for two years.
Attorney Subhas Panday represented Joanne, David and Osbourne while Pierre was represented by attorney Herbert Charles.
Attorneys Trevor Jones and Stacy Laloo-Chong prosecuted.