Witness: Man was armed with cutlass

Rashad Maynard today described the man who his brother is alleged to have killed as a “nuisance” who drank heavily and became aggressive.

In fact, he said on the day his brother Raheim Hinds struck Michael Yearwood with a stone, Yearwood had “straight pulled” a bottle of rum and was armed with a cutlass.

Hinds, of Phillip’s Road, Pinelands, St Michael, today pleaded not guilty to murdering Yearwood on March 26, 2015, when his trial got underway in the No.5A Supreme Court.

Maynard, who was 15 at the time of the incident, told the court he knew Yearwood as ‘Bishop’ who operated a tire shop in the area of Princess Royal Avenue, Pinelands, St Michael.

“I don’t know much about him but he used to drink a lot and get aggressive towards people. He would tell ya things and provoke ya,” he told the court.

Maynard said on the day in question Yearwood and his brother got into an argument.

The witness said he was outside sitting down relaxing by Marcia Moore’s shop when Yearwood walked across the road in his direction.

Maynard said he had a bottle of rum in one hand and a cutlass in the other.

He recalled that Yearwood “was telling him things” and he got up and went for a rock.

Maynard said the man went in the road and his brother came on the scene.

He said his brother then took up a stone and threw it at Yearwood, striking him on the head. He told the court the man fell down, got up and fell down again after being struck.

Maynard said people went to his assistance and he went home after he was ordered to do so by his father.

Under cross examination by defense counsel Arthur Holder, Maynard admitted that in a statement he gave to police on March 28, 2015, he told them that Yearwood had poked him and made swiping actions at him with the cutlass.

He recalled that after being hit with the rock Yearwood still had the cutlass in his hand.