West Ruimveldt vendor accused of assault, granted $60,000 bail

A West Ruimveldt vendor was on Friday before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he was accused of attacking a man with a baseball bat during a heated confrontation. Joshua Marshall, 26, stood before Magistrate Annette Singh and denied the allegation that on September 17 at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he unlawfully assaulted Nigel Hawk.
In court, Marshall explained that although Hawk is not his blood relative, he was raised by Hawk’s family and has lived with them for years. He claimed that Hawk previously assaulted him and that on the day of the incident, he only acted out of fear when Hawk approached him.
Hawk, however, painted a different picture. He told the Magistrate that his grandmother, the property owner, allowed Marshall to stay with them when he was younger. According to Hawk, disputes frequently arise because Marshall locks the gate. On the day in question, Hawk said he was upstairs when he heard loud banging outside. When he went to investigate, Marshall allegedly confronted him and without warning, struck him several times with a bat, leaving him injured.
The prosecutor supported Hawk’s account, telling the court that the accused had asked Hawk to move his vehicle so that he could remove his motorcycle. The prosecutor said Marshall then armed himself with a bat and dealt Hawk several lashes before fleeing. The matter was reported to the police, who later arrested Marshall.
Hawk firmly objected to Marshall returning to the residence, telling the court, “He is a present danger and the owners will have to put him out.”
After considering the submissions, Magistrate Singh granted Marshall bail in the sum of $60,000. She further ordered that he vacate the property, remain at least 100 yards away from Hawk, and be escorted by police to collect his belongings.
The matter was adjourned until October 17.