CEPEP worker convicted of using weed wacker to injure man, damage his car

A CEPEP worker from South Trinidad was found guilty on Monday of maliciously wounding a man in 2006 and causing damage to his car with a weed wacker.

Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas convicted Allan Luke after a judge-only trial.

St Clair-Douglas also denied an application by Luke’s attorney Marissa Bubb for bail pending sentencing, saying he viewed the offences of which he was convicted to be sufficiently serious.

Luke, who was at the Judiciary’s virtual access customer centre in Princes Town, was remanded until November 16, when the judge will hear his attorney’s plea in mitigation and possibly sentence him.

Luke was accused of using a brush cutter in an altercation with Rodney Robinson on August 30, 2016, at Coora Road, Siparia.

It was the prosecution’s case that Luke deliberately used the wacker against Robinson.

In his defence, he claimed he did nothing and it was Robinson’s own actions that caused the injury and damage.

Evidence led by prosecutor Indira Chinebas was that Robinson was driving his car along Coora Road just after 7 am that day when he approached an area where Luke was using the wacker on the side of the road.

Robinson stopped and spoke to Luke, who told him he was “doing the Government work” and did not care if a stone broke Robinson's windshield.

The judge heard testimony that Luke threatened to “go for the man neck first.” and when Robinson returned to his car, Luke approached it on the right-hand side with the wacker. Robinson drove a short distance away and Luke followed.

Robinson then got out of his car again and pelted Luke with a stone, which did not hit him, and showed him his middle finger. He returned to the car and as he was trying to change gear, he heard a loud noise and the brush cutter was inside the car.

Robinson realised he was bleeding and Luke pulled the wacker out of the car.

Robonson drove to the police station and when he returned with the police, they saw Luke by a bar in the area and he told the police where to find the wacker.

Robinson was taken to hospital, where he was treated.

The judge, in his ruling, said the action of each man and their responses were disputed, but said,“By time interaction was finished, Robinson was injured and his car damaged.”

Luke, who testified at the trial, insisted he did not threaten Robinson or shove the wacker into the car. He also denied trying to hit Robinson with the tool.

After going through all the evidence, St Clair-Douglas found Luke guilty of unlawful wounding and malicious damage.