Tobago man gets more time to compensate friend he chopped

A TOBAGO man has asked for additional time to pay compensation to a man he chopped because the man pelted him with a wine bottle after accusing him of not telling him about his wife’s infidelity.

Anroy Manswell, of Pembroke, appeared virtually before Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas on Thursday.

The judge had adjourned his sentencing of Manswell when he pleaded guilty in December to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Roger Smart on May 13, 2012.

On pleading guilty, he offered to pay $5,000 in compensation, but the judge doubled the amount.

St Clair-Douglas had adjourned the case to January for Manswell to pay an initial payment.

But on Thursday, Manswell’s attorney, public defender Delicia Helwig-Robertson, asked for additional time to pay the first instalment, since her client had to use the money he put together for compensation to deal with an emergency at home.

Manswell was given until February 18 to make the first payment. He will also return to court on that date.

When the incident took place, Smart was outside a shop in the neighbourhood drinking wine when Manswell approached and asked him for a cigarette. He then went home, returned with a cutlass and attacked Smart. Four of Smart’s fingers on his left hand were cut when he grabbed the blade.

Manswell’s mother was called and she beat him into submission and helped Smart bandage his injured hand.

Manswell admitted to attacking Smart, but said Smart had accused him of not telling him “his wife was giving him horn.”

The men are now friends and Manswell apologised to the court for his actions.

“I let anger get the best of me and I should have handled it differently. To the court and victim, I humbly apologise,” Manswell said.