Dominican man pleads guilty!

Matthew entering the prison van on Feb. 2. * Photo credit bvinews.com

ROAD TOWN, Tortola – A man, who has been charged with attempting to kill his girlfriend, has pled guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and damaging property when he appeared before High Court Judge Indra Hariprashad-Charles on Monday morning.

Sentencing is slated for Friday, February 26.

Ovel Matthew, a construction worker and a native of Dominica is charged with attempted murder, attempting to choke, causing grievous bodily harm, two counts of reckless and negligent act, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of criminal damage.

The defendant however had pleaded not guilty to attempting to choke, which the Crown informed the court that charge will be dropped.

It is alleged that on April 21 at Duffs Bottom, Mathew attempted to murder 26-year-old Savitree Ramphall, a Guyanese. He allegedly grabbed the virtual complainant (VC) by her around her neck from the vehicle she was driving and began choking her.

Ramphall allegedly passed out and fell to the ground while Mathew allegedly kept punching and kicking her in her face and other parts of her body in public.

Herbert McKenzie is the defendant’s lawyer while Senior Crown Counsel Tiffany Scatliffe appeared for the Crown.

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15 Comments

  1. The man
    March 28, 2010

    I do not know what men think, but what I can say as for the court by now men should know that the law is always on the woman side not really on the men side, in saying so there are more law to protect women than me in other words do not get me wrong… However I know that he is going to get what coming for him.. That is no way to treat a woman But i must also add we always need to know why that come about , as fare as i know we Caribbean people just do not like Guyanese, do not know why …..but on the other hand if he was never brought up to treat a woman wright it do not matter which Caribbean woman he have..
    So i know he have a hard one coming

  2. en ba la
    February 25, 2010

    @ Steve. If the young man is guilty why waste the court’s time? He almost killed someone and not in self defense.
    If it was your sister or daughter you would be “rising a storm” unless you are not close.

    To the young man and young women too – life and freedom is more precious. Remember the saying “Sa zoezeou ka dit en les branche cest pas sa ka dit en calouge”

  3. STORY
    February 24, 2010

    JAIL HIM THATS A WICKIED MAN.

  4. February 23, 2010

    mesay queeck,

    tienes rason, your right!!! something she did that he had to behave in that manner,yet……………if she was sister yet I would have kwase his tet, I knew men work hard to maintain his woman ..and yet she show her ungratehfullness,leave a man bottomless,what would you expect him to do?? well not all men could just walk out and forget it, but yet she a person, …………..

    ……………..I would have full her gas tank with corn meal and sugar that would have tied up her engine !!!! let her get another sugar dady to buy a new engine !!!

  5. good thing
    February 23, 2010

    i remember this case…. While this guy was at work he saw his girlfriend ex man passing with their car. She said she brought it for him to service…. he left work and went to her workplace (some lawyers office) and started beating her there but some people stopped him so he waited till after she was done with work and did his damage then…. sad story…. guy needs some serious help…. Heard the woman made it a habit to sleep around behind his back though…. but that is not an excuse to raise ur hand on a woman….

  6. precious stones
    February 23, 2010

    Am waiting on his sentence to post my comment….jacktabat

  7. champi
    February 23, 2010

    boy thats a hard one wi trust me, and a d/can and his a d/can but my bro u cannot treat a woman like that, them men doh realize they come from us , we women. a woman that make u my bro, F…….kries u goin my bro,

    JAIL HIM FULL SENTENCE THAT NOT D/A TRUST ME U HAVE A ROUGHT TIME AHEAD OF U!!!!!!!

  8. CB CUZ
    February 23, 2010

    @ Steve ….Why didnt he think of that before he put his hands on her? shame on you steve for feeling sorry for a man who chokes his girlfriend until she passes out. I hope the inmates uses him as their girlfriend in prison. I hope he rots in jail

  9. ebe
    February 23, 2010

    the man should be jailed for a long time and i hope his prison inmates kick the ..out of him

  10. February 22, 2010

    our men just think that they can take advantage of we women i hope u get at least 10 to 15 years years jail time wicked soul

  11. Karkabeff
    February 22, 2010

    Maximum sentence should be in order

  12. Anonymous
    February 22, 2010

    No woman deserves to be treated like that, no matter what she has done. Our men needto learn to deal with domestic issues without violence. Walking away is the best way. The woman will still be free to do as she pleases,if he goes to jail. Those of you out there,who think beating up a woman is”being a man, you are a boy’

    Fair & Balanced

  13. steve
    February 22, 2010

    This dude attorney needs to be jailed. How can you have the poor boy plead Guilty on these charges?? The young boy life is over….

  14. tm
    February 22, 2010

    Domestic Violence especially against women and children has no excuse; regradless of what the complainant did. Give him what he deserves.

  15. mesay queeek
    February 22, 2010

    I dont blame the neither of them, but i must say i think she did something serious to him to make him react in such a manner. Women can be a dangerous species…….lol hehe… But he should have dealt with the situation differently.

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