Mavado - Contributed

Western Bureau:

Dancehall star David 'Mavado' Brooks yesterday told the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court that while he could have handled the altercation better, he was not guilty of attacking a St James man and his son in a case of road rage last year.

Brooks is charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and malicious destruction of property arising out of an incident on July 22, 2011. The complainants, Henry Cunningham and his son Oshane, reported that they were attacked by Brooks and members of his entourage in Belmont, St James.

However, in court yesterday, Brooks, responding to a question from the prosecution and his lawyer Martyn Thomas, agreed that he could have handled the situation that led to the altercation differently.

"The road code says that when you reach an impediment on your side of the road, you're supposed to stop and allow the other vehicle to pass you, correct?" the prosecutor asked the deejay.

"Yes miss," Brooks said, agreeing that he could have stopped and allowed Cunningham free passage

In regards to the claim that he struck the complaint's car with his vehicle, which resulted in the man being pinned between the vehicles and sustaining injuries, the deejay said that was not true.

"I drive a five-ton truck and if I drove it to squeeze him he would probably have two broken legs or something," Brooks said, in responding to a question from his lawyer.

The investigating officer, Corporal Neville Kerr, who also testified yesterday, said that he had observed injuries to Cunningham following the incident. He said there was a swelling on his forehead, right leg and a cut on his back.

The crime scene officer, who also gave testimony, said that he had photographed the damage to Cunningham's car and surveyed the scene.

With prosecution and the defence now completing their respective cases, the deejay is slated to return to court on May 7 when Resident Magistrate Wilson Smith will hand down his verdict.

Brooks' bail has been extended.