Man dodges jail following drunken assault
(CNS): A 23-year-old man from George Town has avoided going to jail despite hitting a woman in the face with a bottle during a drunken brawl. Hector Latrell Whittaker pleaded guilty to wounding on the morning of his trial in February and received a 17-month jail sentence Thursday, which was suspended for two years. Justice Michael Wood said he had come very close to going to jail as it was “an unpleasant offence where a bottle was used to inflict injury to a woman’s face”.
But in accordance with the basis of plea agreed between the crown and the defence, the court accepted that he was provoked and it was an instinctive response.
When the prosecutor outlined the facts of the case, he said that Whittaker, his girlfriend and a group of other friends were out celebrating a birthday at Da Station bar on Shamrock Road last March; at around midnight they were all intoxicated when Whittaker and his girlfriend began arguing.
One of her female friends approached the couple and became swept up in the argument. At some point, it was said, she pushed Whittaker, who was holding a nearly empty bottle of beer in his hand. At that moment he swung the bottle at her and a brawl began, during which she sustained a cut to her face.
The court heard that Whittaker had no previous convictions and he had no intention of hurting the woman, who was a close friend and godmother to his child, but had acted instinctively as a result of poor judgment. Since his conviction he has shown both remorse and sympathy for his victim and was able to present a number of character witnesses who spoke highly of the young father, who is said to work hard to support his child.
Whittaker was ordered to pay the woman’s out-of-pocket medical costs of almost $400, attend an anger management course and was warned by the judge he that he would go to jail if he committed any offences during the period of time that his sentence was suspended.
Sounds eerily like the case of the Oxford female student who stabbed her date with a knife and the judge decided, due to the circumstances and background, it was not a punishable offence.
Both are wrong in my humble opinion.
– Who
Justice Michael Wood said he had come very close to going to jail as it was “an unpleasant offense where a bottle was used to inflict injury to a woman’s face”.
Yes how unpleasant a bottle to the face but he was a good man and once again the, “I was drunk.” legal defense has saved the accused from jail time. This defense is right up there with the, “sacred vessel” defense.
Yet 12 days overstaying equals 90 days.
God bless ya cayman. No wonder so many of your new citizens are alkis. It’s a bloody haven.
Why is it that locals who commit heinous acts can always produce character witnesses who speak so highly of them .If this man’s “instinctive” act is to hit a woman in the face with a bottle he should be in jail as he is demonstrably a serious danger to others when inebriated.This case sets a really bad example as he has got away with a savage, cowardly attack on a woman.
Savage, cowardly attack on a “woman”. Way not say a human? Aren’t we all equal?? If it was a man he had done the same to; would you have said, savage, cowardly attack on a “man”?? We are all humans and no such assault should be done to any “Human”!!
Alcohol has to be banned at all cost. This isnt pirates of the caribbean.
I agree that alcohol should be banned period.
Yeah the US tried it back in the 20’s and 30’s?.. how’d that work again?
Just because you’re on a diet and refuse to eat fried food, it doesn’t give you the right to dictate if I can eat KFC.
Likewise, if people eat too much fried food and become morbidly obese, it doesn’t give you the right to say I can’t treat myself to KFC because I’ll overdo it like others.
If you eat KFC and throw the bones in my yard and fart in my general direction it most certainly does give me the right to tell you to keep that crap outta your mouth.
Hit a woman wit a bottle get a 17 month sentence, molest a child get 6months
Another way to stop the over flow at Northward and save public funds. Meanwhile putting the public at risk hoping for the best. Sooner or later it’ll implode. Check London and see impact of politics in policing. They turned a decent place into a dangerous environment.
11:54 , your response is the only one that is common sense , this Will happen again , maybe worse the next time , man hitting any woman anywhere is unacceptable , I drank for most of my life , Never ever have I hit any woman , Men yes , their where some scraps , but women No Sir , you walk away and if that doesn’t work you run away , any so called man drunk or sober that hurts women in any fashion is a punk coward !
First “unguarded moment”, now “unpleasant offence”. Do the Grand Court Judges think that they have a licence to re-write the Penal Code or what?
What they need to do is stop babying these fops. If they can’t have a drink and behave like gentlemen, suck a pacifier!
“Unpleasant offence”? Tell that to the victim! Sentencing is turning into that of the pityful slap on the wrist!
Pity the judge didn’t also ban him from drinking any alcohol during the term of the suspended sentence because that appears to be the problem here.
Alcohol and immature people who can’t deal with their emotions don’t mix.
Don’t be so mean to alcohol
Wound have never happened if he were smoking the Jane
BS
Well you can’t say there isn’t precedent for such leniency. One needs look no further than our very own legislature for proof.
So true! He never even got a conviction recorded.
Community service would be a good punishment! Why is CS not a thing here?! We could use some good punishment that’s not jail for crimes like this and dui/no insurance/not paying tickets/etc. Need the used condoms, cig butts, bottle tops, popped balloons, cleaned from the beaches.
You hope those are popped balloons.
I’m sure they are all lovely people.
“he was provoked and it was an instinctive response” This is not a defense. NO excuse.
just like there was no excuse for the female to interject herself and push him, she pushing him is also expressed in the court of law as an assault. both should charged with assault.
Big difference between pushing and smashing a glass bottle in someone’s face.
“I’ll take the push please”