– Magistrate warns Bond to ‘stay out of trouble’
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Mr. James Bond appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday but the charges against him, of threatening language and assault causing actual bodily harm, were all dismissed after the virtual complainants said they did not wish to proceed with the cases. The lawyer had pleaded not guilty to both offences, particulars of which stated that on January 7, at East Ruimveldt, in Georgetown, he unlawfully assaulted Adrian Wilman to cause him actual bodily harm and used threatening language to Rawle Stephens.
An indictable charge of damage to property was not read to Bond because there was no related statement and the magistrate asked the investigating police to leave the witness box.   
The policewoman later told the court that she was only aware of the two charges and was told to swear to the indictable one, about which she knows nothing.
“I was set up,” she declared.
Wilman explained to the court that, while he was at the Ruimveldt Police Station, he told the officer that he does not wish to proceed with the case. However, he said the police insisted and instituted the charge against Bond.
The magistrate noted that, from the inception Wilman told police that he did not wish to proceed with the matter. However, Stephens was ordered to pay $5,000 costs, because he had not stated that he would not be proceeding with the matter.
Stephens said police had only asked him to give a statement as a witness and he was told that he had to appear in court only to learn that he had to pay costs.
After the cases were thrown out, the magistrate warned Bond to “stay out of trouble.”
Bond is soon to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament (MP) for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).