Court grants bail to American who assaulted hotel worker

An American citizen who was arrested two weeks ago over charges of assaulting a hotel worker in Kampala, has been granted bail.

Jimmy Taylor was arrested after videos circulated on social media showing him slapping and pursuing a male employee of Grand Imperial Hotel, whom he accused of ‘disgracing Jesus’.

The 69 year old appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court on Friday, where he was charged with assault.

Prosecution led by Patricia Chingtho said on August 17, at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala, Taylor a resident of Arkansas, US, unlawfully assaulted Mr Franco Ssamanya, a staff member of the hotel, occasioning him physical harm.

Footage extracted from Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) at the hotel, shows Taylor punching and insulting Ssamanya.

Taylor, who says he is an ex-US marine and missionary, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He then applied for bail, which was granted after prosecution did not object, saying the accused had presented credible sureties.

The accused was granted non-cash bail of Shs1 million. Both his sureties were bonded at the same amount non-cash.

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Taylor, whose videos sparked outrage on social media in Uganda and across the region, reportedly told police he attacked the hotel employee because he had suffered stress.