Barbados Today

When Abayomi Yohannes Lopez appeared in a Bridgetown court yesterday, he confessed to one offence but not the other.

The resident of #63 Belfield Land, Black Rock, St Michael pleaded guilty to robbing Jabari Jones of a $1,000 gold chain on June 4, 2014 but denied unlawfully and maliciously wounding Janelle O’Neale last November 23.

The 24-year-old labourer went before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard from the prosecution that Jones was sitting under a tent with others at Melvin’s Avenue, Black Rock on the date in question, when Lopez asked Jones why he was looking at him. Jones did not respond.

Lopez then went up to Jones, grabbed the front of his shirt and questioned him about a fight he had with another man. Jones was wearing a gold chain at the time and Lopez took it, before hitting the complainant to the right side of his head with a motorcycle helmet.

Not yet finished with Jones, Lopez then cuffed him and hit him with a rock, before telling him: “Run from ‘bout hey”.  Jones fled the scene, and Lopez threw a rock at him, hitting him on the foot.

Lopez later turned himself into police and admitted during an interview that he beat the complainant but did not rob him of his chain. Jones later got back his chain.

When the court questioned Lopez about the chain yesterday, he said his mother returned it to Jones.  He also told the court that he never intended to rob Jones. “We was fighting and the chain pop,” Lopez explained.

Magistrate Cuffy-Sargeant ordered a pre-sentencing report on the first-time offender, who is to return to court on April 21. He is expected to be sentenced in the first matter at that time while his second matter will be mentioned.

Lopez was granted $6,000 bail and ordered to keep away from O’Neale.