Sword for protection

The level of violence currently plaguing the country has apparently not deterred a 22-year-old man from walking around with a sword in his pants.

When Rico Akeem Nurse, of Farnum’s Gap, Deacons, St Michael appeared before the District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court this afternoon he did not have a satisfactory explanation for Chief Magistrate Christopher Birch on his reason for having the weapon in a public place.

On his arrest on July 5 he allegedly told law enforcement officers, “Me and some men from Chapman Lane get in a scene and I got it for my protection.”

Today, he gave the Chief Magistrate a different explanation claiming that he had the offensive weapon because “I am not working . . . I does cut little grass . . . I collect it from a fella.”

In outlining the facts Station Sergeant Peter Barrow disclosed that policemen were on foot patrol along St George Street, The City when they saw Nurse sitting on a wall at Jubilee Gardens. As the lawmen approached Nurse quickly got up and ran in the opposite direction but was quickly apprehended. When searched, the black-handle sword was found concealed in the right side of his pants’ waist.

After pleading guilty to having the offensive weapon Nurse told the Chief Magistrate that the police saw him between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. last Friday while he was making his way home.

“You running about armed in the dark, in this Barbados? So far for the year, 32 people lay dead and you running around the dark with a sword with the prospect of adding to that number? If you don’t want to be caught in scenes stay home [don’t] loiter around in the dark armed with a sword, trouble follows trouble.

“For your protection, what do you think our taxes pay the police to do? To protect you but you want to be a target running around in the dark with a sword. If you did not want to be a target you would be home taking care of your family, instead you out there looking for trouble or waiting for trouble to find you,” the island’s chief magistrate said as he gave Nurse a strong chiding before remanding him to HMP Dodds until Friday for sentencing.