A contractor who told a magistrate he was due to start a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) project today has been denied bail for allegedly trying to murder his ex-lover.
Miguel Collins, 27, pleaded for bail when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine in the San Fernando First Court but was remanded in custody because of his criminal record.
The attempted murder charge stemmed from an incident on November 26 at Naparima Mayaro Road, Palmyra, where it is alleged that Collins choked 21-year-old Applonia Paul, put a knife to her neck and threw kerosene on her. He was charged by Cpl Neckcheddy after he was arrested in Morvant on a warrant for failing to attend court in Port of Spain on November 13.
Collins claimed he did not attend court on that date was because he had been injured in a vehicular accident. He said he sent a medical certificate from the hospital to court but it was sent back for him with a warning that a warrant would be taken out for his arrest if he failed to attend court by 1 pm. Collins said he could not attend court because he was not well.
In his appeal for bail, Collins said he is the sole breadwinner in his family and has a registered business. He said he is a sub contractor for a HDC contractor and already had workers lined up for a project today.
“I keeping myself out of trouble. I had a misunderstanding with my ex-common-law wife. Is something that going on for quite a while now,” he said.
Collins said the Ste Madeleine police know about the situation and he also made a report at the Central Police Station. However, Antoine noted that he had seven pending matters for serious offences from 2014 to 2016, including wounding with intent, four sexual charges, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and malicious damage. She told him of his right to apply to a judge in chambers and adjourned the attempted murder case to January 29. The Port-of-Spain matter was adjourned to January 4.