Court rules Cardiologist didn’t beat Carlos Zelaya
Carlos Zelaya Jr.
Earlier this year, Doctor John Gough and his neighbour, Egbert Nicholson, were both charged for wounding sixteen year old Carlos Zelaya who was dating doctor’s daughter. It was a sensational incident because pictures of the badly beaten minor were widely circulated and it involved a prominent doctor. The trial of the two men concluded in August and sentencing was handed down today by Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Goff was exonerated of a wounding charge but Nicholson, who admitted beating the minor, was found guilty and got a one-year suspended sentence. On February fifteen, Zelaya was seen leaving Gough’s property. Nicholson relayed to Gough what he saw and they both went in pursuit of the teen. They caught up with him and the young man was badly beaten. During the two-day trial in August, Gough said he never laid a hand on Zelaya. He admitted he was at the scene but said that while there was an altercation between Nicholson and a young man, he was inside his car on his cell phone with his family, inquiring if anyone was hurt since his property had been trespassed. Gough said that it was not until he ended the phone call, that he noticed that the young man had visited his home on two occasions. According to Nicholson, he hit the minor because he became aggressive when was questioned about his presence in the doctor’s yard. The parents of the minor, Carlos Zelaya Senior, and his wife Sarli, found the verdict to be a slap in the face. They told News Five that they want compensation for the physical and emotional pain their son endured.
Carlos Zelaya Sr., Father of Alleged Victim
carlos zelaya Sr.
“Definitely justice was not served. John Gough and Nicholson, they were both identified by a witness and my son identified them. He knew his attackers, he identified them and I don’t believe this is the verdict of the judge.”
Delahnie Bain
“Mr. Nicholson was found guilty; however, does that make it any better for you?”
Carlos Zelaya Sr.
“Like I said, justice was not served because Nicholson definitely beat up on my son but also did John Gough so justice was not served.”
john gough
Delahnie Bain
“Your wife mentioned that the magistrate said she had doubts but she found them not guilty anyway.”
Carlos Zelaya Sr.
“Yes, the magistrate had doubts on John Gough, what he said that he didn’t beat on my son. And then in the decision they gave Nicholson one year suspension being that he can’t get into problems for a whole year. That’s ridiculous.”
Delahnie Bain
“Do you plan to take this any further?”
Carlos Zelaya Sr.
“Definitely, we will proceed with this with a civil suit.”
Gough still has a case pending for disorderly conduct at the Corozal Magistrate’s Court after he and another doctor, Irvin Gabourel were embroiled in an altercation that ended in blows at the Northern border in August of this year.
GOB and the entire court system is lame.What a joke the evidence is overwhelming that this fool Gough injured this young man.What about some vigilante justice for this dude Gough.If this kid was my son i get you myself Gough.This is BS what is mr Barrow doing about all this injustice?Apparently the wealthy people in Belize can do what they want and walk free.What if this kid had done something of this nature to this idiot Gaugh would the outcome have been thesame? I guess not.Why is this doctor even allowed to continue working in a medical facility?As far as i am concerned your license should have been revoked thug.What a good example for people working in the health department.
Justice is obviously not blind in Belize, just short sighted & corrupt. Mr. Swift(?) stole some cheese & got a hefty fine & will probably got to jail because if he could not afford the cheese, he certainly cannot afford the fine.
These men beat up this child, one walks free & the other one gets one year probation. Xplain!!!
Sue these two bullies & have a jury make them pay. Again Mr. Nicholas, in addition to being a bully, there is a name the ghetto folks call you _ _ ke watcher. Again, you need to explain why you are in the middle of this man & his daughter’s problems?
Unequal justice — no “regular” Belizean would get a suspended sentence, he would do hard time in Hattieville. It’s wrong, wrong, wrong for this dangerous criminal to escape punishment! And it’s clear evidence of what is wrong, wrong, wrong with Belize — different classes, different justice.
Seem like everyone in belize is getting paid for existing and no man must pay for their crimes commited against others.
way of life in belize, better get use to it.
I have learnt in my life that there is something call ‘Karma’. I would urge Mr and Mrs Zelaya not to dwell on it. Let it go and move on, bring up your son to be respectful others and have a full life, with time he will heal and have his own relationship and family.
IF this man is guilty of harming your child, believe me, he might be able to escape punisment by this peers in Belize but there is someone mighty than any man that walk this earth.
RM, you are right. I have found that what goes around comes around. It might sound “hokey,” but it does happen.
Interesting! The boy is dating the doctor’s daughter but got beaten by the neighbor for it? Is a 16 year old that immature to not recognize his attackers? What was the neighbor doing in the yard? Wife have doubts? There is another witness? but yet the doctor is innocent… is our justice that blind or just get paid off to pretend to be blind? and coincidentally the people who have the “money” always get away…
RM, it’s a foolish notion to leave unsolved problems in the hands of non-existent entity. Beliefs in “Karma” etc. doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t help the innocent women who are raped in Darfur, the boys being sexually abused in Afghanistan.
Continue to purse justice through legal mechanisms. Continue to take ACTION. Real action. Waiting for divine intervention has historically been proven useless.
There is an awful spirit that is covering this beautiful country. Unless people start truly praying and asking God to move, this uglyness will continue.
Gough says he witnessed a youth beat up the kid, yet his buddy, Nicholson, admits to participating in the beating?? How in the word could the magistrate believe Gough’s story with so many conflicting versions of what happened. This is sick. Another rich person with connections gets to act with impunity. Shame on the magistrate. Shame on you “Dr.” Gough! Which part of DO NO HARM do you not understand???
I don’t see what the huge issue is, the kid trespassed he got beat for doing it. It’s not like he was badly beaten, two bruised eyes is nothing to cry about. That kid needs to man up and face the consequences of bad actions.
JUSTICE WILL NOT BE DENIED…….. Karma is REAL!!!
sick sick sick very sick the legal system in Belize is very sick, where are all the NGO’s in Belize are there not any of them that stands up for the right of the citizens of Belize or are they working for the politicians too, it seems like the wild animals in Belize have more representation when it comes to abuse and mistreatment than people does. There are so many NGO’s in Belize always taking up radio time spinning their wheels about the right of this and the right of that I do hope that the right of this young man will be taken up, when all he seems to have been doing was courting the girl in his life and this idiot talking about sitting in his car checking to see if his family was ok because his property was trespassed on acting like he don’t know that this young man was involved with his daughter, maybe some one need to beat some sense into him, sorry for anyone that goes to his practice for service I think a good start would be to boycott anything to do with him and his business and make his life miserable just like he did this young man even if he did not personally inflict any injury on this young man he is responsible since apparently it is his vehicle that was used in pursuing the young man that makes him nothing more than a vigilante he is not even worth the honor of being called Dr.
This is indeed a sad state of affairs! With all the conflicting stories and the doctor is allowed to walk free? Even Ray Charles can see his deceptiveness from the grave. He was on the phone with home while the altercation was going on! Really? Only that stupid magistrate would accept that! After two witnesses and a crazy story, she pretended to believe the good doc!
Hunter says he does not see what the big issue is! Well, I will tell you. This type of activity goes unchecked and it will spread like wild fire and may even end up at your doorstep. if you think you are isolated from this, you are sadly mistaken or naive. I more say naive, maybe even stupid, as you may want to think yourself above this. I wonder if you have kids and if you do, then you are a fool! You want the kid to man up and face the consequences? This is a “kid” and you want him to “man” up! And you condone the “man” who lied his tail off like a “kid”!
RM, I agree with you regarding Karma, except that I will drive Karma around, I will poke Karma, I will show Karma the way to get back at this fool!
Not only did Gough injur this kid.This fool also got into a fight with another doctor while his case was pending.That is enough prove to substantiate that he is a violent individual who thinks he is above the law.
so the bulldog got away hmmm. well it might not be for too long, the other day I hea he find his match!!!!so this bulldog better lie low, cause somebody wen give him a good (……))
Bway johnny, u need a new profession, go into boxing ha ha ha .
watch you back
KARMA is the UNIVERSAL LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT.
What YOU SEND/PUT OUT…… EVENTUALLY COMES BACK TO YOU…….
INCLUDING ……..LOVE AND GENEROSITY!!!
all these thing are happening because there is no leadership in the country we have a pm who is deft and blind to all the goings on in belize since he is in the us sucking up to obama sick sick sick get rid of this pm and gov.
What a joke this doctor seem to have a temper and there is proof he got into another altercation with another doctor. A year suspended sentence to cause this much pain to a teenager, this is crazy.
rod………You are usually on piont, but DEFT and DEAF………. HAVE VERY DIFFERENT MEANINGS.
WHEN THE LEADERS HAVE NO VISION……………. …………………THE PEOPLE WILL PERISH!!!!!
If this was my son I would get the man myself!
You know what?Thats BS mein,i swear too if that was my kid,i would take the law in my own hand.Shame on you pm barrow,i wish it was your kid.Watch how you walk or walk around dude,get some bodyguard.
Hunter I don’t usually respond to comments but I am mystified. I hope you are joking. Look at this child’s face and tell me that no charges is justifiable?
Clarify this for me, you’d be happy with someone doing this to you or a family member. This child was not just pushed or slapped once for “trespassing”/visiting his man’s daughter, he was battered. Anyway, as I said and I know what I am talking about, no hokey pokey stuff. In my experience what you do in life come back to you and usually double, and it may not be straightaway but trust me it does.
Progressive Woman: Women in The Sudan (Dafur), Afghanistan, Belize, the Congo and the rest of the world have experience sexual, psychological and domestic abuse and it may look that the perpetrators were not brought justice but you cannot say that. My best friend worked in the Sudan, station in Juba during the height of the Dafur conflict working for Medcens San Frontier, and worked with these women you’ll find they exhibit this amazing sense of forgiveness, hope and strength, very seldom bitterness. SO Progressive woman, if you feel that you get justice another way, then go right ahead and best wishes with that.
that is not justice. that is why people have to do their justice
My mom keeps me up to date with Belize news and had told me about this incident. I pulled up the news today and saw the headline. I don’t understand what is happening in our country crime seems to have gotten worse on all levels in the 3 years I have been away from home. I believe that Gough is as guilty as hell and the neighbour is an … for taking the full blame for this. What business was it of his anyway, it wasn’t his house the young man was coming from. If this was my son I would have been forced to take the law into my own hands. This doctor needs to have a chat with his daughter maybe he should have beaten her instead of the boy. Afterall you should be able to have contro of your own children
When I look in this child’s face I feel very sad as to what I see. I don’t know him or his family but I feel tearful. This a 16 year old child attacked and severely beaten by two grown men. Lets face it, THIS person said he was on his phone? I can’t even bring myself to mention his name. One wonders if his friend was outside beating this teen and he collapsed and died, what would his story be. All because the teen visited his house to see his daughter, who I must say has not said she was harmed in anyway by this young boy. A teenage crush, if that was the problem here can now result in these injuries in Belize. Tell me which teen is’nt mouthy? That is what teenagers do, they challenge everything and everyone but these two people were suppose to be the ‘mature’ adults. What about them just both giving him a warning and letting go his way, failing that speaking to Mr and Mrs Zelaya.
Is it doubled stand? If it was a 16 years old girl battered face we were looking at all because she visited the neighbour’s son, the reaction and outcome from the court would have been completely different?
Well, if you live you life as an aggressor, one day ….. .. I think if you two people really think of yourself as men you would acknowledge this isn’t right.
RM: I believe and try to follow my life this way, as I do believe in ‘Karma’.
I read and re read this article and yet I don’t see any mention of the reason or evidence why Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser based her decision.
I’m not saying either party is guilty or not, what I do question is how or what the decision making process was completed in order to get to the decision.
Everyone is pointing at every one else. So how about this; was the Dr. daughter allowed to start dating or did she do this against her fathers wishes; Did the Dr tell the kid “my daughter is not allow to date at this time or dating below her social status; What part did the neighbor play, was he hired by the Dr to take the fall and beat up a kid; How can the Dr say he was there but didn’t see or do anything to stop the crime because he was on the phone— oh please!
Finaly let us not forget it takes nerve for a grown man to beat a kid like the injuries of the picture show or it takes money to cover it up so I say again in question, how and what was the decision manking process of Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser decision.
So the judge is also corrupt in this case he should also face karma for sure amen