Man granted $10,000 bail

A man accused of intending to wound another man with an ice pick was granted bail of $10,000 when he appeared in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Winston Wellington Burgess Jr., 40, of 1 Suffering Lane, St. George's, was accused of two indictable charges that must be heard in the Supreme Court.

Crown counsel Wayne Caines told the court that between August 14 and August 15, in Pembroke, Burgess, intended to do grievous bodily harm to Howard Dwayne Burgess by unlawful wounding.

He also faced a charge of possessing an offensive weapon, namely an ice pick, on the same date. It is not known if the men are related.

The maximum sentence of ten years in prison would be the result “if (Burgess Jr.) was convicted on the facts,” he said.

However, duty counsel, Llewellyn Peniston implored Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner to grant Burgess bail as long as he made regular appearances to Police.

After a lengthy bail hearing, Mr. Warner said: “I have heard both counsel and bail will be granted in the sum of $10,000 with one surety.”

In addition, Mr. Warner ordered Burgess to report to the St. George's Police Station three days a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Burgess will next appear in court for mention on Friday, September 10.

Drug court seen as better than prison

A man escaped prison by going into the drug court programme.

At first, Donielle Shannon Richardson, 23, of Riviera Estate, Southampton, did not want to go into drug court, because he said he did not use drugs, apart from “marijuana once every couple of months”.

Instead, Richardson said he liked “to drink a lot” .

But when Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner gave him the choice of drug court or prison, he was keen to get on to the drug court programme. Richardson was guilty of two offences - stealing from the Bank of Bermuda between March 10 and 17, and stealing from the Southampton Princess and forging Bank of Butterfield cheques on May 6, prosecutor Shade Subair said.

She also said he had no previous convictions. Richardson will appear for mention in drug court on September 1.