Man who breached court order denied bail

A Barrackpore man who allegedly chopped and stabbed his estranged wife and their 27-year-old son was denied bail yesterday by a Siparia magistrate.

In refusing bail to 52-year-old Harripersad Roopchand, senior magistrate Margaret Alert said Roopchand was a danger to 49-year-old Shanti Roopchand and their son Premchand.

The matter was heard in the Siparia First Magistrates’ Court. The two charges read to Roopchand alleges that he maliciously wounded the woman and his son at the family’s Pancham Trace, Barrackpore home. The charges were laid indictably by Sgt Davis Lewis of the Barrackpore police station. Roopchand was not called to enter a plea.

Shanti was stabbed to her face, neck and chest and chopped on the left arm. Her son was stabbed to the face and chopped on his right hand.

They were attended to at the San Fernando general hospital and discharged. The mother and son were in court during the hearing.

Premchand had a bandage on his face and wore a sling on his right arm.

Roopchand was represented by attorney Soorjan Singh.

In seeking bail, Singh said Roopchand had three children, no previous convictions and two pending matters before the court.

Prosecutor Sgt Starr Jacob, in objecting to bail, said Roopchand had matters of a similar nature pending before the same court. Jacob said, in January last year Roopchand was charged with two counts of assault by occasioning bodily harm on Shanti and another relative. For those charges, Jacob said, Roopchand was granted bail and conditions were also attached.

“The conditions stated that he stay away from the victims, and in this instance he breached those conditions and entered the house where the alleged acts were committed,” Jacob said. If granted bail, she argued, he might repeat similar offences.

Alert agreed and denied bail. She said the most suitable place for Roopchand was the Remand Yard prison. She said Roopchand could challenge her decision and apply to a judge in chambers for bail.

His matter was adjourned to January 30.