One day after his mother, Erceline Wallace Gabourel,83, perished in a fire that Fire Service officials has since confirmed was an act of arson, her son, Dennis Gabourel, 58, the owner of the Horse and Carriage Tours, was in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court to answer to a charge of harm.

Gabourel pleaded not guilty to one count of harm allegedly committed upon Kathleen Grant, 32, a landscaper and resident of Cleghorn Street.

Gabourel appeared before Magistrate Hettie Mae Steward, who released him on a $1,000 bail plus one surety in the same amount. He is due to return to court on June 24.

The allegation against Gabourel is that on Thursday, May 22, he committed the harm upon Grant, sometime around 7:45 p.m.

Grant told police that she was on North Front Street when a car pulled up and Gabourel allegedly told her, “Get out ah mi business.”

Gabourel was referring to comments that Grant made to television reporters when she was interviewed about the death of his mother, who was Grant’s neighbor.

After telling Grant to get out of his business, Gabourel allegedly slapped her on the right side of her face with a force that caused her to fall down on the pavement. When she fell, she told police, Gabourel kicked her several times in her stomach before jumping back into his car and driving off.