Men say sorry for fighting over “squeezed hand”

Two men who fought in Bridgetown last weekend apologised to each other when they went before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Zidan Sharmar Harewood, a 23-year-old PSV driver from 1st Avenue Maxwell Hill, Christ Church, and 35-year-old automotive painter Jamal Rawson Renaldo Haynes, of Golden Mile, Speightstown, St Peter, said sorry after admitting to causing a disturbance on Tudor Street on Saturday.

The court heard that a police officer who was on duty in the area stopped a fight between the two after being alerted by a large crowd.

According to Station Sergeant Randolph Boyce who read the facts, Haynes said he was on a minibus parked by the Main Guard while Harewood was on the outside. Haynes said he closed a window but was unaware that Harewood’s fingers were in the window and were squeezed.

An argument ensued and Harewood entered the bus and struck Haynes, causing a fight to erupt.

Harewood, in explaining his actions, admitted to entering the bus and confronting Haynes who was drinking a beer and who subsequently hit him in the head with the bottle.

“It’s my fault. I left outside the van and went inside accusing him,” he said.

Haynes, meanwhile, stated that he was trying to keep out of “people’s way and people just coming at me, so I defend myself”.

“All of this over a squeezed hand?” Magistrate Butcher said.

Magistrate Kim Butcher

“I really wish people in Barbados will just calm down a little. You all are two grown men, especially Mr Harewood . . . . You are a public service driver . . . you already work in an environment which is very aggressive – calm the situations down. Either of you wants to be the next statistic? People are dropping dead in this country from violence all the time. Do you all want to be the next statistic, over a squeezed hand?” she queried as she reprimanded and discharged the men.

Harewood said that he simply wanted Haynes to acknowledge what he had done.

Haynes, in reply, said: “I didn’t even know his hand get squeeze . . . . When I realise that, he was on pun me.”

Each of the men expressed a desire to apologise to the other.

“I am very sorry for squeezing your hand . . . because this ain’t call for,” Haynes said.

Harewood responded: “I am very sorry for what I had done on that day, Mr Haynes and . . . it will never happen again.”