Emotions ran high in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Friday when the judge threatened to remand accused woman Claudette Stewart.
Stewart, who was in a relationship with her senior citizen boyfriend for approximately 10 years, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.
The court was told that Stewart and the complainant got into an argument over partner money.
According to the prosecutor, Stewart used a chair that she was sitting on to hit the complainant in his face after tempers flared when she confronted him about not paying the partner money.
The complainant, who had sought medical attention, told the court that he paid $4,500 to see a doctor.
“Mi spend plenty money on that (Stewart),” the senior citizen said, adding “me nuh waah nuh money from her,” insisting that he was over his ex-lover and wanted nothing to do with her. He told Parish Judge Chester Crooks also that he wished not to be compensated but said he needed her to remove her belongings from his house.
But it did not end there. The complainant told the court that he was threatened by Stewart and her friend.
The friend, who had accompanied Stewart, to court was called.
When she appeared in court the woman, who was also a senior citizen, denied threatening the complainant but said she knew him from she was a child.
The woman had to be told by the judge to be quiet on several occasions.
Crooks, who was seemingly disappointed by their behaviour asked: “You nuh have better things to do than come a court.”
Crooks, who had mediated the matter, said that he found it strange that he had to be counseling “senior persons”.
The judge told the woman that he had already mediated the matter and that she was only making things bad for Stewart.
Consequently, Crooks told Stewart that she would be remanded.
“Dem abuse mi, mi no want nothing. Mi lef it to the Almighty,” the senior citizen said as he began to cry.
At this time, Stewart stood speechless in the dock as tears flowed down her face.
The complainant was once again called to her rescue.
“Your Honour, I am a lenient man. I wouldn’t want to send her to prison,” the complainant said. “It happened already and I forgive her, and it happened again.”
No evidence was offered on the complainant’s behalf.
Fake taxi operator allegedly fleeces passenger
A man and a woman who are accused of fleecing a passenger in a Corporate Area taxi of her belongings were remanded when they appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Friday.
Allegations are that the complainant was robbed when she boarded the car that accused Cornel Smith was driving as a taxi in the vicinity of the National Commercial Bank in Half-Way-Tree, which was en route to downtown Kingston.
Smith’s co-accused Nickesha Duncan, who was allegedly purporting to be a passenger along with other persons, participated in the robbery.
The prosecutor told the court that the complainant was in the vicinity of the bank and York Pharmacy when she saw the taxi.
After she boarded the taxi it drove off along Half-Way-Tree Road onto Balmoral Avenue and then made a left turn onto Maxfield Avenue where the driver and passengers robbed her of three cellular phones, $25,000 and personal belongings.
Days after, the complainant made a report and Duncan and Smith were apprehended in Half-Way-Tree.
At the time of their arrest the prosecutor said Ducan and Smith were seen sitting in the same car that was allegedly used during the robbery.
They were both pointed out by the complainant in an identification parade.
Smith’s attorney, Ayesha Robb-Cunningham told the court that she intends to make a bail application, but that fell through when Parish Judge Chester Crooks told her that with offences of that nature he normally requests the accused antecedents prior to granting a bail application.
Robb-Cunningham argued that her client had no previous conviction but that did not satisfy Crooks.
The attorney also argued that her client was not the driver and that he does not drive a white motor car, but said he drives a black Nissan Sunny B13.
Crooks told the attorney that he was not minded to grant her client bail.
The court was told that the motor car in which Smith and Duncan was seen when they were apprehended was released to the owner.
The judge, who was seemingly concerned, instructed the liaison officer to find out who the car was released to.
A December 8 mention date was subsequently set.
Woman brought back to court after 20 years
More than 20 years after Georgia Williams faced the court for fraudulent conversion, she was back on Friday to clear her name.
But little did she know that the woman who had pressed charges against her would be the one to beg for her.
In 1995, Williams was charged when she was unable to return the complainant’s money.
The amount of money was not disclosed in court.
Williams’ attorney, who indicated to the court that he wished to have the matter thrown out, argued that his client had made restitution.
But that did not rest well with Parish Judge Chester Crooks who highlighted that Williams had gone about her business for 20 years and now wanted the matter to be thrown out.
The complainant was then called to confirm if she was compensated.
By this time the senior citizen gingerly made her way inside the courtroom.
“Why did you bring her to court?” Crooks asked.
“Because she did borrow mi money and never give mi it back but me and her a friend now. Mi did tell her tek time gi mi back the money,” the senior citizen said.
“She pay you back the money?” Crooks asked the complainant.
“Yes,” the senior citizen replied.
No evidence was offered against Williams.
“The crown withdraws the matter. You may go. Stay out of trouble,” Crooks said.