Good Samaritan freed of assault charge after rescuing boy from dog attack

Thirty-four-year-old electrician, Renford Kerr, who rescued a child last year from a dog attack, has been freed of an assault charge. 

He was arrested and charged following a complaint made by the owner of the dog. 

Kerr was freed on Tuesday in the St Mary Parish Court following a no-case submission made by Queen's  Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney-at-law Veroneath Morris, who represented him.

Kerr was driving his motor vehicle in Mango Valley district, St Mary on April 4 last year when he saw a dog attacking a 10-year-old boy who was walking on the road.

He jumped out of his vehicle and threw stones at the dog in order to rescue the boy.

The boy had to receive medical treatment as a result of injuries suffered during the dog attack.

Taneisha Williams, the owner of the dog, complained that Kerr came into her yard and beat her up and he was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Kerr admitted to chasing the dog into the owner's yard but denied assaulting the woman.

The lawyers suggested to the witness, under cross-examination, that she got upset when she saw Kerr in her yard and attacked him but she denied the suggestion.

Under cross-examination, the dog owner admitted to being a complainant in five other cases before the court.

It was suggested to her that she is known to be litigious but she denied the suggestion.

The dog owner had testified that she received several injuries from Kerr as a result of the alleged beating.

However, under cross-examination, the defence lawyers pointed out that the evidence revealed that no such injuries were observed by the police or the doctor who saw the dog owner immediately after the incident.

After the Crown closed its case on Tuesday, Champagnie submitted that the testimony of the complainant was totally discredited. 

The prosecution conceded and the judge then freed Kerr of the assault charge. 

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