A man admitted to wounding yesterday over an incident where he pursued his victim to Fort Hamilton before the victim jumped down into the moat to get away.

McLee Smith, 32, was originally charged with wounding Andre Blackstock with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possessing a sword and aggravated vehicle taking.

Mr. Blackstock suffered lacerations to his arm and thumb during the incident, and a BMW car was found smashed into a wall nearby.

However, Smith, from Sandys, pleaded guilty yesterday morning the day his trial was due to begin to a lesser charge of unlawful wounding.

A judge then directed the jury to find Smith and two others accused in the case not guilty of other charges they faced.

In the aftermath of the incident on November 8, 2009, three people were taken to hospital after a car slammed into a wall following a fight near Fort Hamilton around 5 p.m.

Police found the car, a BMW, smashed into the wall at the junction of King Street and Happy Valley Road.

A Police spokesman said at the time: "It appears that an altercation took place between several individuals, with one of them brandishing a bladed article.

"As a result, a 23-year-old Devonshire man was injured. He was taken to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment. A car fleeing the scene collided with a wall near the junction of Happy Valley Road and King Street in Pembroke.

"The driver, a 31-year-old Sandys parish man, has been arrested in connection with this matter. A 23-year-old Pembroke woman and a child, passengers in the car at the time, were taken to KEMH for medical evaluation."

Two other defendants Gilroy Brangman, 36, and Diante Trim, 23 were also accused in the Supreme Court case. Ms Trim, from St. George's, was accused of taking a motor vehicle without authority and using threatening words to Neseyah Jones: "Girl, I'm gonna bust your ass, my man is gonna kill your man."

Mr. Brangman, from Sandys, was also accused of wounding Mr. Blackstock with intent to do grievous bodily harm. On Monday, when a jury was picked to hear the case at Supreme Court, all three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves told the jury the case involved allegations that the complainant was attacked by a machete in the area of Fort Hamilton.

He added that a car belonging to the complainant was taken, and threats were made. No further information was shared with the jury, and the trial was scheduled to begin yesterday.

However, rather than hear an opening speech from prosecutor Robert Welling, the jury was called into court to hear the charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm put to Smith once again.

He replied he was not guilty to that charge, but guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful wounding which can also be referred to as "simple wounding".

Mr. Welling told the court that in light of that plea "the prosecution offers no evidence against the remaining defendants and counts on the indictment".

The judge then directed the jury to enter formal not guilty verdicts in respect of all the other charges Smith, Mr. Brangman and Ms Trim faced.

He told Mr. Brangman and Ms Trim they were discharged from proceedings. He ordered pre-sentence reports on Smith, and bailed him until July 1 when he must come back to court.

The trio had been on bail, rather than in custody, while waiting for the trial to begin.

Mr. Welling told the judge Smith's plea was accepted on the basis of what he told the Police in his interview.

According to the judge's summary of what Smith told the Police: "He did not say he chopped up the man in his interview. He said the man panicked and jumped over the fort."

Mr. Welling agreed, commenting: "On that basis, he's guilty to simple wounding."

Asked by this newspaper after the hearing if he could share further information on the incident, Mr. Welling said that according to Smith's Police interview, he was in dispute with Mr. Blackstock over money owed. Smith chased Mr. Blackstock from his car towards Fort Hamilton.

"There were punches thrown and, to get away from him, Andre Blackstock jumped down into the moat," he explained. The victim suffered the injuries to his arm and thumb during the course of the altercation."

Mr. Welling declined to elaborate on the alleged roles of Ms Trim and Mr. Brangman since their names have been cleared.