A man who reportedly used a shovel to break his aunt’s left arm after he got upset at her for playing gospel music will be spending the Independence Day holiday in jail after he was denied bail last week in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

Dwayne Harrison, 26, of Worrel Crescent, Kington, was denied bail by Parish Judge Chester Crooks on a charge of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

The court heard that, in June, the complainant was at her home, where Harrison also resides, cooking and singing along to gospel music that she was playing when Harrison approached her and said: “Hey gal yuh a mek bare noise a mi head.” The complainant reportedly stopped singing and went outside to throw away water that she had been using to wash raw meat when Harrison again approached her and said: “Hey gyal how yuh a raw up the place suh?”

The complainant in reply reportedly told him: “Dwayne, yuh love too much trouble,” and went back inside her house to finish seasoning her meat.

It is further reported that Harrison went into the kitchen with a shovel and told the complainant: “Hey gyal, a long time mi waa lick yuh dung,” and proceeded to hit her on the arm, causing her to fall. While she was on the ground, Harrison reportedly went over her and used the metal handle of the tool to poke her in her side and also stepped on her head.

The complainant was rescued by relatives who came to her assistance and was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where she was admitted with a broken arm.

Harrison was later arrested and when he was cautioned reportedly told the police: “A nuh mi do it a she fall down.”

Judge Crooks, after hearing the allegations last Friday, asked the complainant if he had any “head problem” and was told no.

Attorney Roxanne Williams, who represented Harrison, then attempted to make a bail application, but Judge Crooks told her that he was not going to consider bail for Harrison at the moment as he needed to see the medical report and was also concerned about the complainant’s safety, given Harrison’s comment about hitting down the complainant.

Harrison was subsequently remanded until August 16.