7 News Belize

Woman Held Up While Exercising/Man Pleads Guilty, Changes Plea
posted (July 24, 2012)
Today 38 year-old William Tush was taken to court for assaulting a Belize city woman while she was doing her evening exercise on Sunday.

It happened around 4:30 as the Belama resident was walking near the NAPA roundabout on the Northern Highway.

Today, asking to appear off camera, she told us how the assailant came up from behind her and put a sharp object to her neck. She didn't sense him coming because she was connected to her ipod. Here's her narration of the terrifying event:..

Voice of: Victim
"Well walking along I saw this guy cross the street in front of me and he was walking - on the northern highway and like right in front of Friendship Restaurant he bend over and tied his shoe lace, so then I overtake him. Continue walking I felt him walking behind me but it was more like I felt safe because someone was on the road with me, so I just continue walking and he continue behind me. I had my IPod in my ear and I was singing while going along and when I reach like just after the round-about by that 3-storey unpainted building I just felt something by my neck and then the guy just pull my hand while holding a knife - into this yard. he took me by surprise, so at first I wasn't really fighting or anything because he really took me by surprise, but when I realize what was happening and he was saying come on lets go while pulling me - then I started to struggle. I just push him and that's when I receive this cut, then I ran. I ran screaming and the same time a car came that had a husband, wife and a child and they stop and ask what happen, they saw my hand bleeding. I told them "that guy" pointing at him and they saw the guy running away. They say that they will call the police. I saw the man jump in his vehicle and just chase after the guy."

Monica Bodden
"And caught him?"

Voice of: Victim
"He chased him and I don't know what happen after that because I was all emotional and everything but he chased him and afterwards the police told me that they caught him on Coney Drive. I know a lot of people use that highway every day to walk and run. Sometimes I go in the morning at 4:30 and some times in the evening. I just want people be aware that it's so dangerous out there. Before I never used to be afraid, I just get up and I go and walk."

Monica Bodden
"And now?"

Voice of: Victim
"I know I will still want to go and walk but then it will be with fair; I will still not make that stop me, I am going, but just that it will be a different feeling. You have to be aware of your surroundings because usually I just walk and don't look who is behind and in front of me."

Monica Bodden
"Do you still think about what happen and what if? What if you didn't get away....?"

Voice of: Victim
"Yes I do and the thing is at that time I was like 'geez, don't tell me this fool will kill me right out here' I mean, come on, it is early and this guy would do something so stupid? I think the emotion part of it set in afterwards because all the time coming in with the police I was crying like a baby and I am like 'this is not me' because I am not usually crying. When the police brought me home, I was crying and my son got so upset and he was like 'what happen?' It is an experience which I don't know how people go through it because this is a simple thing that really put a toll on me."

But her attacker was caught and this morning in court, 38 year-old William Tush, a resident of 21 Kelly Street, was charged with aggravated assault and wounding in relation to her complaint.

Today, he initially pleaded guilty to the offence when he was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer. He told the court that he was intoxicated at the time, and that he didn't even know the woman he attacked.

Because the penalty for aggravated assault is serious, Senior Magistrate Frazer asked the prosecutor to read the facts before she passed any sentence, and to give Tush time to consider the implications of his guilty plea. After the facts of the case were read to him, he said that that he agreed.

But, Senior Magistrate Frazer took a short adjournment, and when she came back, he decided to change his plea to not guilty. As a result, Senior Magistrate Frazer warned him that because he is forcing the court to go through the entire process, if he is found guilty, he will receive a harsher sentence.

Bail was denied, and he was remanded to prison until August 23.

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