‘I was hog tied and beaten for trespassing’

A 46-year-old man, Kino Wood, broke down in court as he described a harrowing ordeal after trespassing on a property in Sandilands Village on October 15. Wood, who works with the Urban Renewal Programme, claimed he entered the property to deal with a family emergency, citing heavy rain and a delayed bus as reasons for taking a shortcut. However, he alleged that the property owners subjected him to a brutal assault, including being hog-tied, beaten, and stomped on the chest. Wood also claimed his boots and clothes were removed and thrown across the road. He showed the court bruises and a bump on his head, recounting how he feared for his life during the incident. Wood denied stealing $5.50 from the complainant’s car, insisting it was his own money for bus fare. Prosecutor Kendrick Bauld disputed Wood’s account, stating the complainant saw him searching her vehicle and called the police, who found him at the scene and arrested him after discovering the missing money. Wood, who pleaded guilty to the theft charge, expressed remorse and vowed to change his life. Magistrate Abigail Farrington placed him on two years’ probation, warning that further offenses could result in a $50 fine for trespassing and a three-month prison term for theft.