Pest to pay for bottle attack

A WOMAN who was hit in the face because she did not take kindly to Dwayne Omar Anthony Brathwaite dancing behind her will carry the scars from his bottle attack, but will also get compensation from him.

Brathwaite, a 21-year-old labourer of Harpers Land, Sargeants Village, Christ Church, was accused of wounding Debbie Douglas and Kerie Forde on November 4, 2006.

He returned to the District "A" Magistrates' Court yesterday for the conclusion of his case.

Magistrate Pamela Beckles said she had no doubt that the two women recognised Brathwaite as their attacker.

"I don't think it was a case of mistaken identity," she said.

The magistrate ordered Brathwaite to pay Douglas $2 000 in compensation and Forde $1 000 in compensation - by December 11.

During the trial, Forde told the court she and her friend Debbie were in the Boatyard nightclub. She was dancing with a male friend in an area near some steps when she noticed a man was in front of her.

People were also pointing at her friend and she then saw that man was dancing behind her friend. That man was Brathwaite.

"I was concerned 'cause Debbie appeared not to welcome it and I asked [my friend] to speak to Brathwaite," she said.

"I heard Debbie ask [Brathwaite] where he came from. [Brathwaite] then walked away and [her male friend] walked over and spoke with [Brathwaite] and asked him to leave Debbie alone," the witness added.

Forde further told the court that five minutes later she felt someone approach her, and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw that person come next to her.

"I put up my right hand to cover my face and I got hit on my elbow with a beer bottle. When I looked to my right I saw [Brathwaite] holding a bottle," she said.

"[Brathwaite] then hit Debbie with the same bottle he hit me with and said, 'Don't send nobody to tell me things.'"