Hattieville Resident Out on Bail After Alleged Violent Altercation with Neighbor

A resident of the Hattieville/Boom Road is out on bail after allegedly attacking his neighbour. Forty-two-year-old Jareth Tablada appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court today charged with grievous harm against 68-year-old Gilroy Wade. Wade alleges that the two got into an altercation on May 23 when Tablada came to empty drums in the Butcher Burns area. Wade says he was in a hammock and saw when Tablada stole a bottle of Bad Man that belonged to him. Wade says he confronted Tablada and told him to return the drink, and Tablada responded by hitting him in the forehead with a piece of two by four lumber, and then chopping him with a machete. In court Tablada pleaded guilty to the offense, saying that he did injure Wade but in self-defense. The Magistrate then rejected his guilty plea and entered an equivocal plea of not guilty, since Tablada had what amounts to a defense in law. Tablada was granted bail in the sum of three thousand dollars, which he met. Outside Tablada told the court news reporter Anita Nembhard that he only pleaded guilty because he did not have any one to bail him and wanted to conclude the matter quickly.  He also showed Nembhard the chop wound on his arm he says was inflicted by Wade and says he plans to make a report to police.