Blanchisseuse teen on $40,000 bail

A 14-year-old accused of poisoning a classmate, who he claimed had been bullying him over several months, was yesterday granted $40,000 bail. The student, of Paria Village, Blanchisseuse, denied committing the offence when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan in the Arima First Court. It was alleged that on Monday afternoon, the Form Two student offered his 13-year-old classmate a soft drink that was laced with Lanate weedicide. Up to late yesterday, the victim remained warded in a stable condition at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Pediatric Hospital at Mt Hope where he is receiving treatment.

After the incident, the suspect who cannot be named because of his age, was charged by PC Jason Boney of the Blanchisseuse Police Station with administering a poisonous substance with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. After granting the student bail, Cardenas-Ragoonanan released him into the custody of his parents. The day after the incident, Sgt Steve Dodridge of the Blanchisseuse police visited the school and spoke to students about the incident and on ways to handle conflict management and resolution. The student will reappear in court on July 16 to answer the charge.