Accused charged for stabbing incident at pharmacy denied bail

Four days after a Bridgetown businessman was stabbed, a 60-year-old man appeared before the District “A” Magistrates’ Court charged with causing serious bodily harm.

David Nathaniel Blackman of no fixed address was not required to plead to the indictable charge of causing serious bodily harm to Andrew Jones with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him or to do some other serious bodily harm to Jones last Thursday.

Prosecutor Sergeant Victoria Taitt objected to Blackman’s bail on the grounds that he had 15 previous convictions and no fixed place of abode. She informed the court that Jones was still hospitalized at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The prosecution further stated that there was a need to protect society and the accused.

Blackman, in addressing the court, described himself as “not a bad character”. He said he was attending rehab and was employed as a farmer and barber, who moved around with his “tools”.

The accused was released from prison on July 1, 2020.

He is also charged with stealing nine bottles of tonic from AP Jones & Company Limited, assaulting Karen Granville and stealing 63 bars of soap, worth $203.90. from Melwani’s Limited. He denied all these offences. The first two occurred on September 17, 2020 and the other on September 5, 2020.

Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes remanded the accused until October 19.

Police had reported that an altercation occurred between the proprietor of AP Jones & Company Limited and a man on Thursday.

The report indicated that a man went into the business and was allegedly seen taking some items off the shelves and placing them in a bag. He was confronted by a security guard and he pulled a knife. He was pursued by the owner of the pharmacy and they got into a struggle at the exit of the establishment. They both fell to the ground. The owner received a number of injuries about his body, according to police.