Youth accused of serious bodily harm testifies of being afraid of attack

Serious bodily harm accused Marc Akeem Orlando Reid on Monday maintained his innocence, telling the court he threw bottles in self-defence because he feared he would be attacked and beaten by Donte Alleyne and a group of boys.

That was the evidence given by the now 20-year-old Reid from the witness stand when his trial in the No. 2 Supreme Court continued.

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

After the Crown closed its case which is being heard by Justice Randall Worrell, Reid opted to take the stand to recall the events leading up to and immediately after the incident which led to him being before the court.

Under examination by his counsel Sharise King, Reid said on two instances prior to August 30, 2017, he had been approached by either Alleyne or one of his friends.

On one occasion, Reid said, Alleyne and another boy came up to him while he was at a church breezing and asked him if he wanted a “vibe”.

He said he replied, “If I wanted a vibe I would have done something already”.

Another time, he was at the same church with his girlfriend when a boy by the name of Shaquon walked up to him, grabbed his shirt and slapped him in his face.

Reid said that on the day in question, he had gone to visit his girlfriend at her house. He said he was outside waiting for her when her two brothers told him to come into the gallery because some boys were coming down the road.

He said he went into the gallery and as the boys approached the house, Alleyne threw a Monster energy drink can at him while someone else threw a rock.

The accused said Alleyne then began to run at him and he armed himself with two bottles.

He recalled that after throwing the first bottle, Alleyne elbowed him and cuffed him in his face, causing him to fall.

Reid said when he got up he noticed one of the boys was armed with a knife.

He said he saw Alleyne “grabbing for something on the ground” and fearing he was going to throw something at him, Reid said he threw another bottle at Alleyne.

The accused said at that time, his girlfriend’s mother came outside and began quarrelling and told him to go inside the house.

He said when he got inside he called his father, aunt, and the District ‘E’ Police Station.

Reid said his aunt eventually passed for him and took him to the police station.

When asked by King why he threw the two bottles, the accused said he was afraid.

“I was afraid. I felt they were going to beat me,” he said.

Under cross-examination by Senior Crown Counsel Olivia Davis, the accused said he did not initially retreat inside the house as his girlfriend’s mother had made it clear he was not allowed inside.

Reid also denied that he had armed himself with bottles upon seeing the boys walking in the direction of the house and that he had thrown the bottles first.

He said he did not know if the second bottle he threw injured Alleyne.

Reid also maintained that at no time prior to August 30, 2017, did he interfere with Alleyne or any of the other boys.

Also taking the witness stand was Dr Steve Sandiford who attended to Alleyne at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.

Under examination by Davis, Dr Sandiford said he feared Alleyne might have died if immediate attention was not given to his injury as he was suffering from Class 4 haemorrhagic shock.

Dr Sandiford explained that a person goes into Class 4 haemorrhagic shock when they lose more than two litres of blood.

He said he applied a tourniquet and rushed Alleyne to the Operating Theatre. He said this was done within 15 minutes.

Dr Sandiford said he then called the cardiothoracic surgeon and Alleyne subsequently underwent surgery.

Under cross-examination from defence counsel King, Dr Sandiford said he acted quickly when he saw the injury to Alleyne’s calf.

“I was a concerned doctor who saw a colleague struggling and a young man about to die,” he told the court.