JAMAICA COURT HOUSE…DAT IS ALL

A woman who begged for her lover after he broke her ankle during a spat drew the magistrate’s wrath when she appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court last week.

The complainant, upon her appearance before Senior Resident Magistrate (RM) Judith Pusey on Tuesday, told the court that she did not wish to pursue the matter any further.

She also told the magistrate that she had forgiven the 39-year-old accused, Wayne McRae.

But the magistrate was not pleased with the complainant’s decision.

“I don’t share this romantic view,” the magistrate told the complainant.

“You step in someone’s ankle and break it, you should go to prison for it and I think you should go,” she said to the electrical technician of Shooter’s Hill Road in St Andrew.

But McRae, in his defence, said that “it was an accident”.

“This is how much you love her,” the magistrate remarked.

“Your Honour, I really love her, I love her a lot,” McRae quickly answered.

The magistrate then turned to the complainant and asked her if she had forgiven McRae for breaking her ankle and she said she had.

“If you are silly enough to make a man break your ankle and forgive him, fine,” the magistrate said to the complainant loudly.

“Next time he breaks something don’t come back and waste the court’s time,” the magistrate advised the complainant after a no-order was made in the matter, thus freeing McRae of the charge of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

According to the police report, on March 18, at 7:30 pm the complainant was at McRae’s house lying down in his bed when she noticed a young woman standing in the doorway staring at her.

McRae’s son reportedly called out to the woman by name and she ran from the house.

It was reported that the complainant then went and asked McRae, who was nearby at his workshop, about the young lady and why she was inside his house after he had told her that they were not friends.

McRae reportedly insisted that they were not friends.

However, it was reported that the complainant told McRae that she was going back to her house and McRae told her to leave if she wanted.

While talking to McRae the complainant reportedly flashed her hand and it caught McRae in his face.

McRae then allegedly shoved the complainant and she fell and while she was lying on the ground he stepped on her ankle, causing it to break.

The injured woman was taken to hospital for treatment, the matter was reported and McRae was arrested and charged.

Man denies stabbing pregnant lover in her belly

A fisherman was hauled before the court for reportedly punching his four months’ pregnant lover in her face and stabbing her in her belly for disobeying his order.

The 23-year-old accused, Jahleel Lawrence, reportedly punched the complainant repeatedly in her face, bursting her lips, and causing discolouration and swelling to her left eye in addition to stabbing her.

The 17-year-old complainant was reportedly attacked and assaulted by Lawrence after she went to a section of their community that he told her not to visit.

The accused, of Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston, was subsequently arrested and charged with unlawful wounding.

According to the police, on June 29, at 9:00 pm, the complainant was standing in a yard in the Marcus Garvey Drive community when she suddenly heard her lover’s voice in a loud tone saying: “Mi nuh tell yuh seh me nuh waa yuh round here. Me a go bring yuh a seaside and cut off yuh neck and throw yuh whey.”

The complainant reportedly walked off but was attacked by Lawrence who punched her several times in her face.

It was also reported that after punching the complainant, Lawrence used a kitchen knife to stab her in the abdomen.

The complainant was taken to Kingston Public Hospital where she was treated and released.

Lawrence was later arrested and charged and when he was cautioned reportedly said: “Offica, a mi babymada, mi can just talk to her. Jah know, star, da gal deh come een like crosses inna mi life.”

In the court file the complainant said she has been friendly with the accused since high school and he has always been abusive and continues to do so even in her pregnant state.

However, on Thursday when the case was mentioned, Lawrence pleaded not guilty to the charge and the matter was set for trial in the night court on July 4.

Lawrence’s bail was extended.

Young woman accused of conning man in car fraud

A Manchester woman who was arrested and charged for collecting $50,000 from a man after reportedly tricking him into believing that she was selling a car, claimed that she herself was tricked by a male friend who orchestrated the scam.

According to the 22-year-old woman, Satania Lewis, she was not aware of the deception and was only helping out her friend, who had asked her to collect the money and to place a newspaper advertisement.

The unemployed resident of Broken Hurst district, Old England, was arrested at her home on June 24 and charged with conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by false pretence.

According to the police, on October 13, 2013 Lewis placed an advertisement in the auto section of one of the daily newspapers, advertising a 1998 Suzuki Swift for sale at a cost of $130,000.

Sometime after, the complainant responded to the advertisement and called the telephone number that was placed in the advertisement. The accused reportedly answered and identified herself as Lewis while indicating that she was the owner of the car.

It was also reported that Lewis then gave the complainant a bank number and instructed him to deposit $50,000 in the account and the complainant complied.

Arrangements were also reportedly made for the complainant to meet the accused under the clock in Old Harbour to show him the car, but the accused never showed up and several calls to her phone went unanswered.

The complainant later reported the matter and the police investigation led to Lewis who, when arrested, broke down in tears.

On Friday when the accused appeared in court, she pleaded not guilty to the charges while explaining in her defence that she was taken advantage of by her friend.

“I don’t even know him,” she said in reference to the complainant.

But RM Pusey told her: “That’s understandable.”

Lewis, in relating what had transpired, said: “In 2013 I met this guy by the name of Alex Palmer. My cousin gave him my number and we started texting and chatting and became good friends.”

Lewis said that sometime after, Palmer told her that his father, who was in the United States, wanted to send him some money and asked her if she could allow him to send the money to her account and then give it to his brother.

According to her, she agreed and delivered the money to Palmer’s brother as he requested.

When asked if she knew that Palmer was involved in selling cars she said: “Him usually tell mi seh him sell cars.”

Lewis also told the court that Palmer had asked her to place the advertisement in the newspaper and she agreed.

“Where is that person now?” RM Pusey then questioned.

“I have no idea now,” Lewis answered.

“That’s interesting,” the magistrate said.

She then asked the investigating officer if Lewis had given that explanation to the police before and was told no.

The matter was then set for trial on October 27 and Lewis’ bail was extended.

Pump attendant caught red-handed with $3,000

A pump attendant who stole $3,000 from a gas station where he worked after swiping $3,000 from a customer’s credit card was remanded for sentencing on July 28.

The date for the sentencing hearing was scheduled on Thursday after Ryan Notice pleaded guilty to larceny as a servant.

The 22-year-old resident of Jones Town in South St Andrew stole the money from a service station on Old Hope Road in Kingston, on June 18.

According to the prosecution’s case, on the day of the incident Notice fraudulently swiped a customer’s card for $3,000. He also forged the customer’s signature on the merchant copy of the receipt produced by the credit card machine.

Notice then stole cash equivalent to the amount for which he had swiped the card

The theft was later detected and Notice, when he was held, confessed to the police.

“Let mi tell you how it go; mi run de card first fi $3,000 but the lady seh she want the gas tank full up, so mi run it again,” Notice told the police.