News

Man pleads not guilty to extortion

A MAN ACCUSED of extorting money from another man in his community, pleaded not guilty in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday.

Anthony Pottinger, a carpenter from Kingston, pleaded not guilty to demanding money, assault at common law and unlawful wounding before Resident Magistrate Martin Gayle.

Attacked

It is alleged that in March, Pottinger approached the complainant and asked him for money. When he refused, the accused reportedly attacked the complainant and threw stones at him, one of which hit him in the head wounding him.

The complainant reported the matter and the accused was later arrested and charged.

However, the accused gave another story. He claimed he had sold the complainant $200 worth of ganja and he had refused to pay. "Mi sell him some weed Your Honour and him nuh waan pay mi suh mi low it," he said.

The accused claimed he had let the matter go and did not see the complainant again until March 29.

He said he accosted the man and asked him for the $200. He said the man refused and both got into a fight. Both, he claimed, were facing each other on opposite sides of the road and threw stones at each other.

He claimed witnesses who were presented parted the fight and told them to end the matter. The accused also claim that in the stone fight none of the stones hit the complainant. The matter is to be tried on June 8.