There was high drama in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s (RM) Court last week when a man who was arrested for reportedly kicking his pregnant lover in her belly, claimed she was framing him because he did not want to leave his spouse for her.

The drama heightened after the accused man told the court that the five-month pregnant complainant was married and that he was not even sure that he was the father of her unborn child.

The 45-year-old accused, Wayne Sturridge, of Pryce Lane in Kingston was arrested and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm following the incident with his lover.

According to the complainant in her statement, on April 19 she was at home when her mother told her that Sturridge had called and had left a message for her to stop calling his girlfriend.

The complainant then reportedly went to confront him at his workplace where they had an argument over the accused’s girlfriend.

During the argument, the complainant said Sturridge used a fillet knife to beat her in the back of her head.

She said he then put her on the ground and kicked her in her face and on her hand that she was using to cover her belly.

The complainant reportedly managed to escape and reported the matter, and the accused was arrested and charged.

But on Friday when Sturridge appeared in court before Senior RM Judith Pusey he pleaded not guilty to the charge while indicating that he never hit the complainant.

“I didn’t touch her,” he said emphatically. “I only argued with her.”

Sturridge then told the court that he was of the impression that this matter was finished, as the complainant had gone to the police indicating that she was done with the matter.

Further to that, he said, “in April this matter first came before the court and the prosecutor could not find the file and when they asked her what happened she said ‘nothing’ and told the court that she did not want to continue.

But according to Sturridge, the complainant became vindictive after he told her that he was not going to leave his baby other for her.

“When we leave court she asked me if I was going to leave my babymother and I told her no, and she find her way at my home and tell my baby mother that she pregnant fi me and a tell har a bag a things,” he said.

“You went to the police maam?” the magistrate interjected and asked the complainant who quickly replied: “No”.

“Your Honour, I am not sure the baby is mine,” Sturridge then said.

But he was advised by RM Pusey that, “there is a way to find that out.”

Sturridge then blurted out: “She is married.”

“Where is your husband?” RM Pusey then turned to the complainant and asked.

“Him a liad, a did deh wid a man for nine years until me meet him,” she replied.

The matter was then set for trial on September 9 and Sturridge’s bail was extended.

Man accused of cutting woman after being rejected

A Kingston man who reportedly cut a woman in her head and on her hand after she spurned his sexual advances, was remanded.

“A bet you me cut you wid me knife inna you face,” the accused, Courtney Cole, is alleged to have said to the complainant before he attacked her outside her gate at Callaloo Mews, Western St Andrew.

The alleged incident occurred on June 10.

The Crown alleged that on the day of the incident the complainant was sitting outside her gate listening music with her earphone.

While she was there, allegations are that Cole approached her and pulled off her earphone and told her he was talking to her.

The complainant reportedly told the accused that she did not want to talk to him because she had a boyfriend already.

Cole reported got angry and went up to the complainant and said: “A bet you me cut you wid me knife inna you face.”

The complainant reportedly told him that he had to “owe her that” and pushed him out of her face.

Cole allegedly pushed the complainant into a fence and held a knife at her throat and shortly after used the knife to stab her in her head and her on hand.

Following the incident, allegations are that Cole threw several stones at the young woman and told her not to report the incident.

The injured woman was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital and according to her was admitted for between two and three weeks.

The injured woman later reported the incident and Cole was arrested and charged with unlawful wounding.

When cautioned, Cole reportedly told the police: “A set dem a try set me up, especially Pookie.”

On Thursday when the matter was mentioned in court the 25-year-old scrap metal worker pleaded not guilty to the charge.

RM Pusey then asked the complainant if they had any prior conflict and the complainant told her that before the incident, she had only seen Cole once.

However, the complainant told the court that since the incident, Cole’s friends had been sending threats to her and her family.

Cole was subsequently remanded.

Woman douses man with hot water over loud noise

A woman was hauled before the court for reportedly throwing a cup of hot water on her neighbour during a dispute over noise.

The accused, Wyneisha Gunter, 29, of Mark Street, in Kingston reportedly doused the complainant with the hot liquid which caused burns to one side of his face and other body parts.

According to police reports, on June 16, around 8:45 am the complainant was at his home hammering when Gunter confronted him about the noise and an argument ensued.

The complainant reportedly told Gunter that he could understand if he was making noise in the night, but that he waited until the morning and that he was not going to let her stop him from doing his work.

Reports are that Gunter continued arguing and then walked towards the complainant and poured the hot water on him.

The complainant reportedly reached for his machete but managed to calm himself.

The matter was reported and Gunter was arrested and charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

But on Thursday when they appeared in court, Gunter told RM Pusey that she poured the water on the complainant in self defence.

She told the court that the accused woke her up with the noise that was caused by a sanding machine that he had and she went to speak to him about the noise and an argument started.

However, she said she left and went to make tea for her and her niece and was attacked by the complainant.

Prior to being attacked, she said: “I call the police and tell him say I call the police and when me come out with the water him attack me and say ‘hey gal how you love call police suh’.”

This was however disputed by the complainant who insisted that he took up the machete after she doused him with the hot water.

The matter was as a result set for trial on September 25 and Gunter’s bail was then extended.

Man imprisoned after escaping from lock-up

A young man who knocked over a female police corporal and bolted from the police lock up was sentenced to nine months in prison for his “folly”.

Jhavel Smith, 26, of Kintrye, St Andrew was in custody at the Half-Way-Tree police lock on July 7 around 5:30 pm when he ran from the station.

The young man ran rom the holding area onto Maxfield Avenue and jumped onto a security company’s car, breaking the windshield in his bid to escape, but was held.

The court heard that the corporal was at the holding area releasing a detainee to use the urinal when Smith pushed her and caused her to fall and then kicked down the door and escaped.

Smith, the court heard, was arrested on suspicion of fraud after he allegedly told a man that he was a police officer and collected $4,000 to a get permit for him to have a party.

But the prosecutor told the court on Thursday that the complainant in that matter had indicated that he did not wish to pursue the matter as he did not want Smith to get into trouble.

Smith’s lawyer, Davian Vassell, then told the court that his client had escaped because of fear.

According to Vassell Smith’s logic’s had failed him and he made a mistake.

The magistrate, however, was not moved and told Vassell that his client was not going home.

“Not because you are afraid you run, jump and mash up the lady’s car, tear down the whole Half-Way-Tree and have police a run after you,” RM Pusey said. “There’s no way he is walking out of here today.”

RM Pusey told the lawyer that the matter was not simple and that it had serious consequences for the police officer and others.

She noted that the policeman would have got into serious trouble and would have been sent home with half of her pay if Smith was not caught.

Vassell, in trying to convince the magistrate, told her to bear in mind that his client was an upstanding member of his community, a member of the police youth club and had no previous brush with the law. He also asked the magistrate to give his client a non-custodial sentence.

But RM Pusey was not in agreement.

“Those who are in the cell must understand that they can’t knock over the officer and run,” she said. “You see if she did leave the grill open and him run and escape … but look on her size, she is a massive lady and he knocked her over.

“I don’t see how a man can lick down officer, kick down door, jump on car and bruck windshield and you give him suspended sentence,” Pusey said.

Clarke then told the magistrate that putting his client away may do more harm than good.

But the magistrate was adamant that Smith should be imprisoned. She told the lawyer that Smith would have been a prime candidate for a “road” sentence given his “good image and strong influence in his community.”

Smith, after paying over $47,000 to the security company representative and apologising to her and the police corporal, was then sentenced to three months in custody for escaping police custody and nine months each for assaulting a female and malicious destruction of property. The sentences are to run concurrently.

“You would be going home today but because of your folly,” the magistrate said to Smith after handing down the sentence.