KAMPALA– Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court has granted bail to a 69 years old American National, Jimmy Taylor after presenting a letter from Nakasero hospital showing his ill health.
Taylor on Thursday appeared before grade one magistrate, Mr Robert Mukanza who read him a charge of allegedly assaulting Franco Ssamanya, a Grand Imperial Hotel employee and was remanded to Luzira prison because there was no prosecutor.
However today August 31 when he appeared for bail, the charge was read to him afresh and he denied the charge against him.
Prosecution led by Patricia Cingitho did not object to Taylor bail saying she received a medical report from Nakasero hospital indicating that the accused is un-well suffering from flashback of his Vietnam experience which triggered a hypomanic response of his bipolar affected disorder.
“He said he is a Vietnam War Veteran and gets treatment for PTSD and Bipolar Affective Disorder in his country,” reads in part the letter that was signed by Dr Seggane Musisi, a psychiatrist.
The doctor recommended that Taylor be allowed to have a 24 hour rest and then fly back to USA and attend his veteran hospital doctor and also been given medication which includes; Olanzapine, Clonazepam and Amoxiclav which should be taken for five days.
Mr Mukanza released Taylor on a non-cash bond of Shs1 million and his two sureties who include Godfrey Kweezi and Gloria Mirembe ordered to also execute a non-cash bond of 1million shillings.
He is to return to court on October 4, for the hearing to kick off, since police investigations are over as stated by the prosecutor.
According to prosecution, Taylor a resident of Arkansas in the United States of America unlawfully assaulted Ssamanya and caused body harm to him on the August 17, 2018 at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala.
In the letter it is also stated that Taylor had come to Uganda on a Christian Mission to save poor needy children by constructing safe clean water supply. He got into altercation with staff of Grand Imperial Hotel where he was demanding to be given medication for headache, he said he had not been sleeping well for some days and needed rest.
In the video, the suspect is seen smashing a glass and going after Ssamanya while murmuring that he (Ssamanya) does not like Jesus and that neither does he like him (Taylor).
At that moment Ssamanya’s colleagues are seen in the video intervening to separate the two before Taylor could do more harm.
