PHILIPSBURG--Two men stabbed each other with knives, and a pregnant woman was beaten during a fight on A.Th. Illidge Road in the vicinity of A and A Supply just before noon on July 5. One of the men involved in the fight was called to the Court on Thursday, to be charged with attempted murder. His case will be heard December 3, the Judge decided.
The victim received 10 stab wounds all over his body and had to be transported to St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), where he was operated on immediately. The suspect in this case T.T.C.W. (41) was also stabbed in his shoulder and was arrested after receiving treatment at SMMC. He was taken to the Philipsburg Police Station and remains in custody.
The pregnant wife of the suspect also became involved in the fight and was beaten by two other women. The two women were arrested and taken to the police station for further investigation. They were, however, released after a few days and are no longer detained, it was said Thursday.
The case could not be heard on Thursday. Attorney Zylena Bary said she had only received the files on Monday, which had left her with insufficient time to properly prepare the case, which would be built on self-defence.
The Judge said he felt somewhat “blackmailed” by the lawyer’s request for a postponement but “reluctantly” granted the request.
The fight took place against the backdrop of a long and troubled history between the defendant and members of the Dominicano community on the island. In this regard, the attorney deemed it of importance to check whether the Spanish interpreter who was present during the hearing of witnesses was properly certified.
Bary also requested her client’s pre-trial to be lifted. She said her client was wrongly portrayed in the Spanish-speaking community as a “Rambo” and a very aggressive person. She pleaded for her client’s release as his fiancée had lost their baby and he should be allowed to be with his family and provide them with an income.
The Prosecutor’s Office objected to the suspect’s release. The victim was stabbed 10 times while he was running away and also while he was down on the ground, Prosecutor Maarten Noordzij said. “This is sufficient reason to assume that self-defence pleadings will not be successful,” he stated.
Without touching on the self-defence question, the Judge decided that suspect W. should remain behind bars due to the shocked legal order and the severity of the alleged crime. “In this case, the legal order prevails over defendant’s personal interests,” the Judge concluded.
