WESTRN BUREAU – Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Deputy Leader Dr Horace Chang is to return to the Black River Resident Magistrate’s Court on March 9 to answer to a charge of assault at common law.

The date was set yesterday when he appeared before Resident Magistrate Lyle Armstrong.

Dr Chang, who has political responsibility for the party’s Area Council Four, which covers the parishes of Trelawny, Westmoreland, Hanover, St Elizabeth and St James, was charged last week after an incident in St Elizabeth which led him to pull his licensed firearm.

Chang was meeting with JLP representatives in South East St Elizabeth last month, following the resignation of Norman Horne from the party.

Following the incident, statements were collected and a case file submitted to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) for a ruling.

The DPP later ruled that Chang, who is also the member of parliament for North West St James, be charged.

Yesterday, scores of party supporters, mainly from St Elizabeth and Chang’s St James constituency, packed the large courtyard to lend support to the party official.

A number of party stalwarts, including former Cabinet minister Dr Neville Gallimore, Mayor of Montego Bay Councillor Noel Donaldson, member of parliament for Eastern Hanover Barrington Gray and chairman of the party’s Area Council Four J C Hutchinson were also in attendance.

In court, Chang, nattily dressed in a grey pin-striped suit with matching tie, and flanked by his wife Paulette and Hutchinson, sat quietly as the court dealt with several other matters.

When his case was mentioned the court was told that the complainant, 47 year-old building contractor Chevette Simpson, was absent. However, his attorney, Mark Greenwood, advised the court that he would like to proceed with the matter.

Attorney George Soutar, who along with attorneys George Thomas and Clive Mullings are representing the defendant, then asked RM Armstrong for a mention date in March and made a request for copies of the statements.He said, too, that the defence team was not yet fully in place.

The RM then set the March 9 mention date and ordered that Chang be fingerprinted.

As Chang emerged from courtroom, he was greeted by a large number of party supporters, many of whom had travelled from as far as Montego Bay and Hanover. Chang smiled, waved and shook hands with them before he was driven away in a black Benz motor car to the nearby St Elizabeth Police Divisional headquarters, where he was fingerprinted.

Thomas told the Observer that he was very confident that his client would be freed of the charge.

“We are confident of our position that he is not guilty,” said Thomas.

Several party supporters also expressed the view that the deputy leader would be acquitted.

“A set dem set him up, nutten nah come out a dis,” a supporter from Montego Bay said.