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.