While in a drunken state, 28-year-old Joel Mohammed chopped down 15 of his mother-in-law's paw paw trees. For that act he will spend 12 months in jail.Mohammed, a father of two, appeared before San Fernando Fourth Court Magistrate Alicia Chankar on Monday and pleaded guilty to a charge of malicious damage.In passing sentence, Chankar told Mohammed: "Alcohol is not a defence."
Mohammed was arrested by WPC Changoor on October 24 for destroying 15 fully grown paw paw trees, valued $5,000, the property of Babsie Singh, his estranged mother-in-law. He was also charged with using obscene language on November 22. Both incidents occurred at SS Erin Road, Duncan Village, San Fernando. He pleaded guilty to both charges.
Attorney Ravi Gooljar, who appeared for Mohammed, said the incident arose out of a family dispute. He said his client was "high on drinks" during the incident.
Gooljar said Mohammed usually used a track at the side of the paw paw trees and on the day in question he was passing and fell. While falling he grabbed a tree and it broke.However, Chankar did not accept that excuse. She asked Mohammed: "What about the other 14 trees?"She told Mohammed he had not demonstrated "remorse. You are not even sorry."
"Anyone who chops, destroys or damage any agricultural produce" is liable to no less than a $2,000 fine "and no less than one year imprisonment and no more than five years," the magistrate noted.
She sentenced Mohammed to 12 months hard labour and fined him $450 or 15 days imprisonment on the obscene language charge.
Police prosecutor Sgt Russell Ramoutar told the court that on October 24 Singh was at her SS Erin Road, Duncan Village, home at around 8 pm when she heard a chopping sound. She looked outside and saw Mohammed chopping down her fully grown paw paw trees. Singh raised an alarm and Mohammed dropped the cutlass and ran away.When confronted by police, Mohammed said: "Boss ah was drunk. I cut down all the trees."
