Carlyle Waldron, the man charged with attempted murder after he reportedly doused his son with gasolene and set him ablaze, causing severe burns to most of his body, denied the allegations in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Waldron, it is alleged, burnt the eight-year-old as a means of punishment because he had lost one foot of his school shoes. It is further alleged that Waldron lit a fiery circle and told the boy to stand in it. When the child ran, Waldron reportedly threw gasolene at him, causing him to become engulfed in flames. The child is still in hospital nursing severe burns to over 40 per cent of his body.

Spanked child

When the matter was mentioned yesterday, however, an attorney representing Waldron, told the court that the the allegations were false. He said Waldron had spanked the child for losing his shoe and then proceeded to burn garbage outside. He said the child walked past and was accidentally burnt. He also sought bail on his client's behalf.

The court was told that a letter had been sent to the director of public prosecutions regarding Waldron's case, but no response had yet been received. The prosecution also pointed out that the child was still in hospital, more than a month after the incident. The medical report in the matter was also outstanding. Waldron was denied bail on these grounds.

The matter is to be mentioned again on March 20.

Porridge vendor claims attack was in self-defence

A peanut porridge vendor, who has been accused of slicing a man, was granted bail when the matter was mentioned in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

Thirty-five-year-old Vinton Streete, who sells porridge on St James Street in Montego Bay, St James, is claiming self-defence to a charge of felonious wounding.

altercation

The charge stemmed from an incident along Market Street on Christmas Eve last year, in which he was alleged to have cut the complainant during an altercation.

Allegations are that he was involved in an argument when he pulled a knife and cut the complainant on the left side of the face. The complainant's jaw allegedly opened as the cut extended from his left ear to his mouth.

fled parish

The complainant sought medical attention before making a report to the police the following day. Streete was arrested on March 3 of this year. The court was informed that he could not be located, as he had left the parish.

Attorney-at-law Roy Fairclough told the court during a bail application that the accused got into an argument with his client after he saw Streete in the company of his ex-girlfriend.

Fairclough said that the complainant attacked his client with a knife and Streete took evasive action and defended himself. He added that the complainant, despite being wounded, chased his ex-girlfriend around Sam Sharpe Square threatening to kill her.

Streete was granted bail in the sum of $400,000 and was ordered to surrender his travel documents. He is scheduled to return to court on May 9.