Gold miner walks free from trespassing charge

A gold miner was on Friday freed of a trespassing charge that was filed against him.
Joseph Calistro appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. The 24-year-old of Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him. He told the court that he had an explanation for the guilty plea.
The prosecution contended that on April 3, 2018, Calistro, while in the vicinity of Coomaka Water Front, was found scaling the fence which secures the property of Virtual Complainant (VC) Cynthia Khan. The VC subsequently called the Police and the miner was arrested.
In his defence, Calistro told the court the on the day in question, he was waiting for transportation under a shed in the said area when he was approached by four men who asked him what he was doing there.
He said that he replied saying, “who is yall to ask me that”? He related that the men then armed themselves with pieces of wood that were nearby and were about to beat him.
“I had nowhere to run. I only had two options; either to go left or right and that how I ended up just over she fence to run away from them, I had no intentions to jump the fence,” Calistro explained.
Following his explanation, the Magistrate reprimanded the defendant then discharged the case against him.