Source Today Newspaper
GREAT BAY – Two brothers who got into a fight at the Soggy Dollar bar with a longstanding adversary on September 4 received a 4-month condition prison sentence with 3 years of probation and 80 hours of community service in the Court in First Instance yesterday.
Dante Jevon (22) and Mahlik Erico (21) Ottly went after a man called Dino when the eldest brother believed he was going to get a weapon and kill them.
The public prosecutor presented video footage of the incident in court. It shows how Devon Ottly storms towards his adversary and deals him a few licks after which his brother kicks the victim, who is lying on the floor, against his shoulder.
Dante Ottly explained to the court that the quarrel has a history going back six years when the victim stuck a glass in the face of his brother Omar. At the Soggy Dollar Bar, Dante and the victim bumped into each other; a dispute followed whereby the victim allegedly said: “I am going to get a weapon and I am going to kill you all.”
When he walked away, Dante Ottly attacked him, telling the court that this was out of fear that Dino would put his words into practice.
Ottly runs a construction company that employs fifteen people. He told the court that he is sorry for what happened. After the fight, the brothers were detained for two days.
The prosecutor considered the acts of public violence proven based ion the video footage, the complaint by the victim and statements made by the defendants.
“This is a very serious form of public violence,” the prosecutor said “The defendant approached him from behind; it is a wonder that the consequences are not more serious. The victim could have been dead.”
The prosecutor demanded 8 months of imprisonment against both defendants, with 4 months suspended, 3 years of probation and payment of medical costs to the victim.
Attorney Shaira Bommel expressed her astonishment about the demand, saying that in other cases where victims had ended up with much more serious injuries, the defendants had received wholly conditional sentences. The demand for paying medical costs does not make sense she said, because the victim works at the fire department and has insurance,.
“The victim has threatened my clients more than once with death,” the attorney said. “In 2013 he fired shots at their home. This man becomes aggressive when he has been drinking.” Bommel asked the court to acquit her clients or to at least drop all charges against them.
The prosecutor responded that his demand is based on “the nature and intensity” of the violence.
Dante Ottly apologized in his last word for the fight. “I apologize for making myself and my family look bad. This will never happen again.”
The judge noted that Ottly had hit his victim several times and that his brother Mahlik had kicked him. “This is not excusable behavior as the attorney claims. The victim was walking away and there was no need to go after him. This was an argument in a pub whereby you lost your patience. It is unacceptable.”
On the other hand, the judge noted: “The context is that of men who had been drinking, so it is not earthshaking. But you must feel that this is unacceptable.”
