Dispute turns physical after dirty foot is put on animal

A man who assaulted another man and his sister because a dirty foot was used to pet a cat was fined $15,000 in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Twenty-seven-year-old Cedric Howell is charged with assault and unlawful wounding, arising from ongoing issues with the brother and sister complainants. He had originally pleaded not guilty to both offences when he appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey.

The incident, dubbed 'cat vengeance' by the senior resident magistrate occurred when Howell reportedly threw stones at the female complainant and hit her in her knee and elbow causing injuries.

The court also heard that Howell used a ratchet knife to cut the male complainant under his right eye resulting in hospitalisation and six stitches.

The accused, however, refuted those claims alleging it was his fists that caused injury to the complainant and that the complainant's sister heard the noise and came out and attacked him.

Howell told the court, "I am tired of telling him not to put his dirty foot on the cat. Him handle the cat rough and di cat nuh like dem something deh, so mi tell him fi use his foot, but not with him shoes."

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey told the complainants, "Leave the man cat alone."

The male complainant, however, told the court, "the cat I was petting is not his cat, it's everybody's cat."

The female complainant also gave her account of what transpired.

She said, "Your honour, mi can't war him, a him a follow up my brother and throw the stones and lick mi. I went to the police and made a report."

RM Pusey then asked the accused, "How long do you intend to spend in jail for this 'cat vengeance'?

"I have no answer, your honour," said Howell.

The senior magistrate then told him he could be sent to prison for three years.

Instead, he was fined $10,000 or six months for assault and $5,000 or six months for wounding.

A fingerprint order was also made against Howell.