Nearly four years after a violent altercation in New Winthropes, the High Court has ordered a man to compensate his neighbour for injuries sustained during an unprovoked assault.
According to Antigua.news, Donneil Anthony, who was 37 at the time of the incident, appeared in court on Wednesday and admitted to causing grievous bodily harm. The case stems from an attack on June 12, 2022, in which his neighbour, Hampson, suffered a serious arm injury.
As presented to the court, Hampson had been walking through the area that morning when he observed Anthony behaving aggressively and shouting. Anthony briefly ran into a nearby yard, and Hampson continued on his way, thinking nothing more of the encounter. Moments later, he was struck forcefully on his left arm. Realising he was under attack, Hampson fled, looking back to see Anthony pursuing him with a large piece of wood.
A bystander intervened, forcing Anthony to retreat. Injured and shaken, Hampson rested nearby until emergency services arrived and transported him to hospital.
Medical examinations confirmed a displaced fracture in his arm. The injury was severe enough to require surgery just over a week later, during which doctors inserted metal plates and screws to stabilise the bone. Hampson was 44 at the time of the attack.
Despite both men living in the same community and being known to each other, no clear motive for the assault was established in court.
In handing down the sentence, the judge ordered Anthony to pay a total of $20,000 in compensation. An initial payment of $5,000 is due immediately, with the remaining balance to be settled in monthly instalments of $1,000 beginning at the end of next month. Failure to comply with the payment schedule could result in a six-month prison sentence.
