Complainant declines to pursue case

Two men had serious charges against them dismissed today after the complainant, who now resides overseas, indicated he was no longer interested in continuing the matter.

Madame Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell dismissed the matters against Jacobi Germain and Leon Lawrence when they reappeared in the No. 4 Supreme Court.

Germain of 8th Avenue, New Orleans, St Michael and Lawrence of Cane Vale, Christ Church had been charged with causing serious bodily harm to Anderson Trotman with intent to do him serious bodily harm or to maim, disfigure, or disable him on February 29, 2016.

They were also charged with unlawfully and maliciously inflicting serious bodily harm on Trotman on the same date. The complainant had been summoned to attend court today but was not present.

His brother Judah Bowen, however, took the witness stand and told the court Trotman had been living overseas for “a couple of months”.

A marshal also took to the witness stand and revealed that she had also spoken with Trotman who said he could not come back to Barbados to deal with the matter.

Justice Smith-Bovell then spoke with the complainant via cellphone and he indicated his unwillingness to proceed with the case.

Senior State Counsel Rudolph Burnett then told the court it “would be an exercise in futility” to continue with the case and asked for it to be dismissed.

Lawrence was represented by attorney-at-law Arthur Holder in association with Rhea Layne and Maria Arthur.