Barbados Today

A “bassa bassa” involving two men and a woman, apparently in a love triangle, landed one of those men behind bars today.

Shawn Anderson Foster of #6 Lawrence Avenue, Bayville, St Michael pleaded guilty to assaulting Cindi Foster on June 19, occasioning her actual bodily harm, and damaging her vest and cellular phone.

The 36-year-old unemployed man also admitted to assaulting Andrew Maughn on the same date, but denied going on the man’s premises after having been forbidden to do so.

According to the prosecutor, the woman and Maughn are in a relationship, but when they are not on speaking terms she turns to the accused.

She reportedly called him to inform him that she was pregnant with Maughn’s child and wanted to end the relationship. He subsequently went to Maughn’s residence and was asked to leave, but he refused.

The woman heard a “noise” outside and when she went to see what was taking place, she saw Foster pushing Maughn. The accused then grabbed her, beat her about the body and slammed her to the ground, damaging her vest and mobile phone in the process.

The matter was reported to the police and Maughn sought medical attention.

Foster was picked up by police sometime later.

A check of his antecedents showed that he had a propensity for committing similar offences. Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant pointed out that he had convictions for wounding, assault, damage to property and using threatening words, dating back to 2001.

“Ma’am, I always defending myself,” he said, even as he sought to explain that the “bassa bassa” did not happen as the prosecutor had outlined.

“She told me about three weeks ago that she pregnant, so I don’t really understand the story and getting charged with something like this, because this here ain’t making no sense,” he said.

The magistrate again asked Foster whether he was guilty of the charges.

“I mash up de phone and pull her vest, but that story is like totally wrong . . . I ain’t slam nobody in no ground . . . . Mr Maughn opened his door and let me inside de house,” Foster replied, adding that he had pleaded guilty because he just wanted “everything to finish [as] it was a lot of scenes and a lot of stuff”.

He went on to explain that the young lady had called him. He said he went across to the house, knocked on the door, and Maughn answered and they chatted. Foster said he then asked for the woman and she came out.

“Two of them start quarreling . . . and that’s how all the big bassa bassa start,” he told the court, adding that he continued to speak to the woman, and then he pulled her hand, causing the phone to drop and “mash up”.

“She then went outside. I pull she dress, vest rip and that was it. I ain’t do nothing else. . . . I ain’t slam nobody to the ground. . . . I do not hit females, Ma’am,” Foster insisted.

But the magistrate pointed to his conviction card which showed he had assaulted Clara Foster, occasioning her actual bodily harm, and unlawfully assaulted Shenia King.

“Wait, Lisa bust my head and I give she a lash. What you telling me? If she hit me, I ain’t to hit she back?” Foster said.

Magistrate Cuffy-Sargeant, saying that Foster seemed to think the situation was a joke, remanded him to custody until July 19 when he will return to the No. 2 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court for sentencing.