Matthew Hart
Photo Credit: Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News
Matthew Hart
Photo Credit: Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News
The man accused in Friday's Road Town Festival Village stabbing has told Police that he has no remorse for the victim, who he claims raped him repeatedly while he was an inmate at Her Majesty's Prison.
Appearing in court yesterday, July 30, Matthew Hart, 34, was not allowed to plea to the charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm. The sitting Magistrate remanded him to prison and a psychiatric evaluation is expected to be conducted on the accused. He will return to court on August 31.
Senior Crown Counsel Christlyn Benjamin told the court that Hart is a BVIslander and performs labourer type jobs for a living, but is of no fixed place of abode.
Benjamin said it is alleged that on Friday, July 27, the complainant was at the Road Town Festival Village when he was approached by the defendant whom he knew before. She said Hart asked the complainant for money, but the complainant refused to adhere to his request.
The court heard that Hart became upset and as the complainant turned around to walk away, Hart used a knife which he had in his possession to stab the complainant in the upper right side of his back.
Benjamin said the wound from the knife punctured the complainant's lung and he collapsed to the ground shortly after being wounded.
She stated that Hart then fled, but was apprehended a short while later by Police Officers with the said knife still in his possession.
When cautioned by the officers, Hart allegedly replied, "I stab he; he raped me nuff times in prison. I shoulda kill he; he shoulda dead."
The Prosecutor said a tape recorded interview was subsequently conducted with the defendant, who confessed to wounding the complainant with a knife, but expressed no remorse.
She told the court that the complainant suffered a collapse lung as a result of the wound and is presently admitted to the Peebles Hospital under stable, but serious condition.
