ST JAMES, Jamaica – The St James Parish Court on Wednesday ordered restorative justice for two women who threw bottles at each other during a fight over family land.

Ethlyn Morris and her cousin Iyata Forrester appeared before presiding judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley in a cross-case with each other on charges of assault occasioning bodily harm.

According to the allegations, on April 8, Morris and Forrester got into a quarrel with each other along the Salt Spring main road in St James when Forrester threw several rum quart bottles, one of which hit Morris on the knee.

Morris retaliated by flinging D&G bottles, one of which hit Forrester on the hip.

“Ladies, how long have you known each other?” Smith-Ashley asked the women after hearing the allegations.

“We grow together, Your Honour. It was because of some land issues,” Morris replied.

“We are cousins, and my grandfather controls 10 lots of land. On that date, one of my cousins was living on a plot of land which a lady said is hers,” Forrester explained, describing how the conflict began.

The judge then ordered the two women to attend restorative justice sessions to settle their conflict peacefully.

“This is an issue that runs deep, but it can be resolved if you are willing. You are family, so let us try to resolve it,” Smith-Ashley advised the women before rescheduling their case for August 23.