Throat slasher jailed for three years
(CNS): David Andrew Bodden (39) has been jailed for three years for cutting the throat of Blake Burrell with a scalpel in broad daylight on a busy cruise ship day in downtown George Town last summer. Bodden was handed a three-year sentence by Justice Charles Quin Thursday, several months after he was tried and found guilty by a jury of unlawful wounding. Bodden had chased down Burrell in the street because he and Jose Sanchez had both threatened Bodden’s life on several occasions and had shot-up his house.
Although there was clear evidence that Bodden was under threat from the two men, the court still found that his actions were not justifiable self-defence, and in his ruling the judge made it clear that Bodden should not have taken matters into his own hands.
Bodden had arrived at the George Town police station on the morning of the stabbing distraught and at his wit’s end over the threats. He had asked the police to go with him to take statements from people who were witnesses to the ongoing threats. The police had followed Bodden, who was driving his own car, but as they drove through George Town, by coincidence, Bodden passed Burrell, who he said had thrown him a gun sign from his own car, which was going in the opposite direction. Further enraged, Bodden swung his car around and went after him.
He rammed Burrell off the road, and when he left his car, Bodden chased him on foot with a scalpel in his hand, which he had taken from his job at the funeral home. As he caught the man he cut his throat, causing a 20 centimetre gash, which would certainly have killed him if the police officer following Bodden had not acted quickly and taken him to hospital.
While it was broadly accepted that Bodden had been provoked, the judge said that on the one hand Bodden was trying to assist the police by taking them to get evidence, and on the other he should never have had scalpel in his hand and used it in the way he did. Justice Quin said the police were behind him, so there was no need to chase after Burrell and Bodden should have left the officers to apprehend him.
As he delivered his sentencing ruling, the judge pointed out that the stabbing took place in broad daylight at a busy time on the streets of George Town and the prolonged car chase had ended in reckless violence. Bodden, he said, had let anger get the better of him and inflicted the serious injury. He had also committed the offence while on bail. Although the judge accepted that Bodden had been threatened and he was afraid for his life, for the second time this week Justice Quin made it clear that people cannot take the law into their own hands. He said if everyone did that, the result would be “violent lawlessness and anarchy”.
Having given careful consideration to what he described as an unusual case, the judge said he believed a three-year jail term was appropriate, with time spent on both remand and an electronic tag taken into account. Bodden was remanded to Northward following sentence.
Well here’s some food for thought, how about if the Police took matters in to THEIR hands, people wouldn’t have to do it for them.
Clearly this man attempted (more than once too) to report this matter to the police, giving them more than enough evidence and assistance for an arrest of the harasser. Now they want to act because David finally had enough and acted on his OWN BEHALF! Should the RCIPs had dealt with the matter, don’t think it would have gotten this far.
But anyhoo, hope your time passes soon D, hope no one harasses you again, cuz boy idk wa else you would have to go through before the po po’s decided to help you again.
I wonder why nobody wants to stab me ?
What am I doing wrong ?
The comments over time on the behavior of this vicious criminal split into two camps; views of outrage at his aggressive lawlessness from law abiding citizens with decent moral compasses and support and apologism from commenters from West Bay.
There seems to be a lot of mistaken sympathy for the thug who slashed a man’s throat and body in broad daylight in the centre of town, and came so close to killing him. It is incomprehensible that the jury did not find him guilty of causing grievious bodily harm rather than unlawful wounding.
Anonymous, 5:25pm , when I say in a different situation, that was not to have chased after the thug and do what he did with witness to see it .
This is very sad that he has to serve so much time because of the thuggery that is going on today . I think that if he had reported the threat to police , and they didn’t do anything about it. Then if he did what he did in a different situation he could have claimed self defense.
Maybe his mistake could teach us all to not let our temper run away before we think of how to handle the situation.
@sharkey I’m not sure if you consider 12 calls not to mention visits to the police station even on the day of the incident reporting to the police with nothing being done. What’s the lesson in that? Being hunted by the thug day and night. Fearing for his life not the mention his children. Would you see it as his anger running away with him?? Hmmmmm
Sorry that he could not control his anger and he allowed it to get the better of him. It is sad indeed that this young man who was clearly afraid for his life from thugs like those that were after him how have to serve time with one of those who is covicted of murder. This type of behavior of thugs intimidating people with the gun sign should also be punished. The victim of the slashing is NO choir boy and stand some responsibility also for provocations… What if he had lost his life and at the hands of this young man.
These are the “males of 80’s” who it was it said “they’re groups”……note the name of the other male accused with Burrell? Sounds familiar?
Same as the “students of private
schools” who were found in various not-so-nice activities on public beach some months ago BUT it is gone silent…….again!
And the mayhem of 60 students of every color and class last weekend @ Camana Bay???
Wanna bet that the “PRIVATE” students won’t see a Police station but everyone fr CHHS and JGHS will?
You see I’ve seen enough in my years now that if it was just Bodden and his crew fr Gov’t PUBLIC schools it would have been defined “gangs” BUT cause of the volume of PRIVATE school students also linked in the findings then they choose to NOT act by denying the info and failing to get professional help for those involved!
I give that history NOT to give credence to violence by taking actions on your own but to show the DOUBLE standard and why we keep losing our children to jail……..
Because we didn’t interrupt in the 80’s, get these children the professional help they needed; they’ve now grown into full-grown males and creating children with the same mentality and moral compass!
That is the end result of denying the problem staring you straight in the face, refusing to acknowledge the enemy by name!
It is still here cause the gangs signage is still rampant in every district…….
You dounbt me then I suggest you pay special attention and not just see the signs posted but look @ the back of the street signs in your neighborhood and look down at the sidewalks along your route……the signage is all over the place…..and we bury our heads further in the sand…..
Then add that we we now will spend $75K x 3years for the time he’s in Northward……
Nothing you have said is fact, all rumor. Were you st Camana Bay or did you read it on CNS? Were you at Public Beach or did you read it in the Compass? Who do you trust, the leprechaun in the convertible?
No “deportation order” for this low life. We are stuck with it.
Are you an idiot???? What the hell are you talking about deportation??? Do you need a deportation order for your stupidity?
Poster 2:09 Which low life, Bodden or Burrell? Guess I’ll have to take my chances on the one that used the knife over the one that showed the sign of the gun.
Disgracefully short.
Why so angry bro?
This would make a good movie.
not long enough but start!