Corriverton man fined $80,000 after admitting to assaulting off-duty cop – News Room Guyana

A Corriverton contractor was fined $80,000 on Thursday after admitting in court that he assaulted an off-duty police officer following a confrontation in a supermarket.

Nicholas Matthews, 33, of Number 77 Housing Scheme, Corriverton, Corentyne, appeared before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court, where he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Matthews admitted that on June 1, 2026, at Number 79 Village, Corriverton, he unlawfully assaulted 25-year-old Police Lance Corporal Odeal Cort.

The matter had initially been called on June 5, when Matthews pleaded not guilty and was subsequently remanded. Bail was later granted following several hearings.

During an earlier hearing, Matthews’ attorney, Ryan Crawford, had told the court that his client and Cort were involved in a physical altercation and were separated by members of the public.

However, the prosecution had alleged that Matthews initiated the confrontation and attacked Cort with a baseball bat.
The prosecution had also told the court that a video recording of the incident at the supermarket was presented as evidence and that Matthews attempted to evade arrest.

The prosecution had also raised concerns about Cort’s safety, noting that the two men live in the same community and were previously known to each other.

Cort, who was off-duty at the time, reportedly sustained swelling to his left elbow and an injury to his index finger.

His attorney, Vinay Punwa, had previously told the court that Cort was grocery shopping with his wife when Matthews confronted him with a baseball bat and struck him several times.

Punwa said his client had suffered physical and emotional trauma following the incident and was experiencing persistent severe migraines for which medical examinations had been scheduled.

On Thursday, when the matter was expected to proceed to trial, Matthews surprised the court by indicating that he wished to change his plea.

Addressing the Magistrate, Matthews said he was sorry and maintained that he was not a bad person. He told the court that Cort, who is a traffic officer, had stopped him several times for traffic violations and allegedly pushed a finger into his face during one of those encounters.
Matthews said he became upset by the alleged action and went to the supermarket looking for Cort, where he assaulted him.

Following Matthews’ guilty plea and address to the court, Magistrate Hardy fined him $80,000.
Matthews was ordered to pay the fine by October 31, 2026, or face two weeks imprisonment.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE