By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAGISTRATE is set to determine the fate of a 21-year-old man who claimed he assaulted another man because he believed his father was a sex offender.
Police arrested Kenneth Brennen after he attacked and threw a glass bottle at a man on June 20.
He pleaded guilty to assault and causing harm during his arraignment before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans.
The prosecution said the complainant told police he was at his father’s house around 6.50am when he was attacked by multiple men. The court was told the complainant was able to identify Brennen as one of the men who assaulted him and threw a beer bottle at him during the attack.
Officers arrested the accused a short time later. When questioned in custody, he admitted committing the offences with his brother and other individuals. In his interview, he said they did it because the complainant and his father were “messing around” with little kids in the neighbourhood. Brennen also alleged the father had been locked up for “only two days” after forcing a little boy to perform oral sex on him.
Brennen told the magistrate he was sorry for his actions, but insisted the incident that happened in his area was “very bad at the time” and claimed the complainant “came outside being very provoking”.
Magistrate Vogt-Evans told the accused vigilante justice was illegal in The Bahamas. She said everyone had to follow the due process because allegations can turn out to be false. She said while she understood people closely related to suspected victims may develop strong emotions, their feelings could not justify them taking matters in their own hands.
Magistrate Vogt-Evans said she would defer her sentence to July 16. Brennen was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
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