Witnesses tell court about fight

Several witnesses recalled seeing Donte Alleyne and accused Marc Akeem Orlando Reid fighting moments before a bottle was thrown that injured Alleyne’s leg.

Malik Cumberbatch-Hope, Jamarco Shepherd and Nyesha Cozier all testified to seeing the altercation when Reid’s trial continued in the No. 2 Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Reid is charged with causing serious bodily harm to Alleyne with intent, on August 30, 2017, and also unlawfully and maliciously inflicting serious bodily harm on Alleyne on the same date.

Cumberbatch-Hope told the court that on that day, he and Alleyne, along with two other boys, were on their way to play video games when they saw a vexed-looking Reid standing in the gallery of a house.

He recalled that none of the boys he was with said or did anything, but Reid threw a bottle at them.

When that bottle missed, he said Alleyne threw a Monster energy drink can at Reid and then ran at him. He said the two boys were fighting and another boy also started to cuff Reid.

Cumberbatch-Hope said during the altercation, Alleyne lost his glasses and while he was looking for them, Reid hit him with a bottle on his left calf.

He also recalled seeing the accused with a stick which he used to hit Alleyne before running back into the house.

However, Shepherd, who was outside when the incident unfolded, told the court Alleyne threw a bottle at Reid first. He said while the bottle missed Reid, it hit him on his neck.

Shepherd said Reid then retaliated by throwing bottles.

He said Reid and Alleyne began scuffling and moments later Alleyne backed off and threw a pocket knife at the accused man which hit him on the hip.

But when Alleyne threw a bottle that hit Reid in the chest, Reid picked it up and threw it back at him.

The bottle broke on the ground and a piece of the glass cut Alleyne on his foot.

Shepherd said he did not see Reid strike Alleyne with a stick.

Reid’s girlfriend at the time, Nyesha Cozier, recounted how she ran out of the house in time to see Alleyne and her boyfriend scuffling.

She too said Alleyne threw a bottle at Reid, which he picked up and threw back at him, cutting him on his foot.

Cozier said the other boys who were with Alleyne then lifted him and took him home.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Sharise King, Cozier said on two previous occasions she had witnessed Alleyne and his friends bullying her boyfriend.

The matter is being heard by Justice Randall Worrell while Senior Crown Counsel Olivia Davis and Crown Counsel Romario Straker are appearing on behalf of the Crown.