PORT ANTONIO, Portland Everton McDonald, the owner of Shine supermarket and wholesale in Port Antonio allegedly ordered that an employee's finger be partly cut off as punishment for stealing two bars of soap.

McDonald and his employee Calvin 'Jegge' James, will appear in the Port Antonio Resident Magistrate's Court on March 3 to answer to a charge of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Both were granted bail of $100,000 and $150,000 respectively.

The complainant, Michael Wilson, recounted his ordeal to the Observer.

"I was upstairs cleaning up because we responsible for the storeroom. While cleaning up I found two detergent soaps on the floor. It came into my mind and a don't know why because it is wrong; so I put them in my waist and coming down I reach one of the security looking at me. I was going to turn back and me see say him see me already so me nuh badda," he said.

"I turned to him and say "Sir me have two soap and me know me blunder still and me a go put them back". Him say him can't make me go back cause another security was watching him so him carry mi up stairs to the boss. On reaching upstairs the boss say 'A whe you catch him a do?' Him seh him thief two soap' The boss seh 'Well you know wha a gawn ya now, me check me stock and me lose $9 million short so hear wha a go gwan ya now, me want a finger," Wilson said.

"Me say Oh God me boss please yu don't have any other option? Him seh no cause me stock short. Him ask fi 'Jegge' and Jegge seh me a go want a finger? Dem carry me down a di kitchen and say me a go want a hammer and dem go for the hammer and come back and say 'put out the hand'. Me hesitate for about two times and den put out the hand and dem chop off a it one time and me draw it away, dem two time me put it out again and dem chop off a it again two time and me pull in the hand again. Then them say, 'A wha you a do boy?" he went on.

"The one Jegge had a knife and put it towards me side so me stretch out the hand and turn away me head and me feel a burning sensation and when me look round me see me piece a finger on the table so me tek me handkerchief and wrap me hand so," he said.

"Beachie say this is an example when everybody else see it them will stop cause mi lose a lot of stock. Him she me must go back to work and me tell him say me have fi go to the hospital. So me leave and go up at the hospital and get it dressed," Wilson said.

The incident occurred on Tuesday January 18 and the men were locked up over the weekend and were bailed on Monday.