Belize City Man Fined After Bottle Attack on Taxi Driver

A 22-year-old Belize City man has been fined eight hundred and five dollars after pleading guilty to aggravated assault involving a pint bottle attack against another man. Jaheem Denmark Dougal, a bartender at Shisha’s Club and part-time car washer of Dolphin Street, Belize City, appeared unrepresented in Court #2, where he was convicted for assaulting 37-year-old taxi driver Alexander Mejia.  Dougal has until September 30, 2026, to pay the fine, or he will face three months imprisonment. The case stems from an incident on July 3, 2026, when Mejia reported that he was approached by three men while at a store near East Collect Canal and Vernon Street. Mejia told police that he was subjected to derogatory remarks about his perceived sexual orientation before he was later confronted by the same group while walking through Lindo’s Alley. He reported that one of the men attempted to strike him with a pint bottle and a Belikin bottle but missed. Police investigated the matter and reviewed surveillance footage, which led to Dougal being identified as the person seen with the pint bottle. Dougal admitted to his involvement and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. During mitigation, he apologized to the court and expressed remorse for his actions. The Senior Magistrate considered that this was Dougal’s first conviction for aggravated assault and imposed a non-custodial sentence. The Magistrate told Dougal that his actions were unprovoked and noted that if the incident had occurred in the United States, it could have been treated as a hate crime. Before leaving court, Dougal was also required to clear a thirty-dollar outstanding court debt from a previous conviction for riding a bicycle against the flow of traffic.