Water vendor remanded for beating mother of his child

A 58-year-old water vendor from Middle Street, Tiger Bay, Georgetown, was on Wednesday remanded to prison after being charged with assault causing actual bodily harm.
Diaram Narine appeared before Senior Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where the charge was read to him. It is alleged that on August 25, at Queen Street, Georgetown, Narine unlawfully assaulted Dakota Agard, causing her actual bodily harm.
According to the prosecutor, on the day in question, the virtual complainant (VC) approached Narine to discuss a matter relating to their child. An argument ensued, during which Narine reportedly picked up a bicycle bar and used it to strike the woman about her body. The matter was reported to the police, and Narine was later arrested.
When given an opportunity to speak in court, the woman told the Magistrate that she only maintains contact with Narine because of their daughter and asked that he be ordered to stay away from her.
Narine, on the other hand, stated that “the child is bound to me by spirit and not by law. It is not legal,” adding that no relationship exists between him and the complainant. He further requested that the court order a DNA test to confirm the child’s paternity.
Although the prosecutor raised no objection to bail, citing Narine’s clean record, Magistrate Latchman refused bail and remanded him to prison until September 26.
Recently, Guyana has seen a troubling rise in reports of domestic violence, with several cases ending in tragedy. In one of the most recent incidents, a 36-year-old woman who had fled her home two months earlier because of abuse was gunned down in Georgetown by her estranged husband. He shot her multiple times before turning the weapon on their 10-year-old son, and then fatally on himself.