Man found guilty of pushing carpenter off cliff

CARPENTER and part-time boat mechanic Clifford “Longtail” Alexander’s face had to be stitched back up after he was pushed 18-feet off a precipice and hit a curb wall.

He lost several of his teeth and had to be flown to Trinidad for medical treatment.

Yesterday, the man accused of pushing him off the precipice was found guilty in the Tobago High Court.

John “Pacroman” Alleyne, of Argyle, Tobago, will today be sentenced by Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds.

It was the first fast-track trial in the Tobago High Court.

Alleyne was before a jury charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on December 1, 2011, At Belle Garden.

According to the evidence at the trial, Alexander went to Gorries workshop to fix a boat engine, and while there he saw Alleyne arguing with another man.

Alexander testified that Alleyne tried to include him in the conversation, but he stayed out of it because he did not know what they were talking about.

He said while speaking to Mr Gorrie, Alleyne put his hand on his chest and pushed him. He fell 18 feet and hit his head on a curb wall. The left side of his face, from his eye to his lip was damaged. His lip was also split and there was a flap of skin hanging, according to a medical report. He also fractured a bone and lost several teeth.

He was taken to the Scarborough hospital, where his face was stitched up and had to be flown to Trinidad for further medical treatment. Alexander said he knew Alleyne for ten years before the incident.

In his defence, Alleyne claimed he was defending himself from an attack by Alexander, who was the aggressor. He said Alexander choked him and during their wrestle, he just canted over and dropped to the bank.

His witness was Gorrie, who said he did not see Alexander choke Alleyne.

Alleyne was represented by attorney Kern Edwards while Nigel Pilgrim prosecuted.