No bail for 'Bounty'
By Tanesha Mundle (Jamaica Observer)
POPULAR dancehall deejay Rodney Pryce, who is better known by his stage name 'Bounty Killer', was yesterday remanded in custody when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court to answer an assault charge.
Pryce, who is accused of beating his girlfriend, was denied bail by Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey, despite a plea from his attorney Christopher Townsend that his client was innocent.
Allegations are that the entertainer used a hammer, his chain and a mosquito zapper to hit the 19-year-old model and student.
In her statement, the woman said she visited the entertainer at his Oakland apartment in Kingston on September 15 at about 5:00 am, and while she was in his bedroom he attacked her.
She said he grabbed her by her hair and throat, pushed her on the bed and started to hit her in the head.
The complainant said the artist used his chain to hit her all over her body. However, she said she managed to escape and ran into the washroom but he followed her and used a mosquito zapper to hit her on her right wrist, causing bruises.
She said the artiste then grabbed her by her neck and said, "Like how u bleeding betta me jus kill u and done cause that is a sign that you should die."
She said he then left and went to the kitchen and returned with a hammer, which he used to hit her on her knees and in her head.
The complainant said after the artiste was done assaulting her, he asked for a massage and she complied, as she was fearful for her life. She said they later went to bed and she got up at about midday the next day and did some household chores.
However, she said when she was leaving the accused hugged her and gave her US$100 and Ja$2,000.
When the matter was called up in court yesterday the controversial artiste, who was clad in a white shirt and black pants, looked very calm and even smiled as he was being led into the courtroom.
Townsend argued that his client was a victim and that there was a disparity between the alleged injuries and what was contained in the medical report.
The attorney also hinted that the complainant might have maliciously made the statement. He said the police overheard her saying that "I have been calling you for two days now if you did answer this would not happen."
But the magistrate, who refused to be otherwise persuaded, said she was not granting bail as the entertainer had been before her within the last few months for a similar matter. In addition she said he had another matter before the court as well as one in the high court for illegal possession of a firearm.
The magistrate said she was greatly concerned that if granted bail, the entertainer would commit a similar offence.
"He is staying with me, it's no longer a matter of protecting these women from him. I am protecting him from himself," she said.
Pryce was remanded into custody for his trial on September 27.
