The Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court erupted in laughter last Thursday after a judge told a man accused of assaulting his wife and stealing her money to return to court with the sneakers he used to hit her.

Parish Judge Simone Wolfe-Reece told the 28-year-old accused, Anthony Richards, a driver of Dahlia Avenue in Kingston, to return to court on September 19 with his wife who was absent from court when the case was mentioned.

“Bring the Converse; it is the root of the problem and we want to get to the root of the problem,” the judge said, eliciting laughter.

The court was told that on July 9, at 9:00 am, the complainant was home with her three children and husband, getting ready for church.

Richards started an argument with his wife in which he told her she was corrupt and cannot not get any friends.

The complainant got upset and told him to leave, as he was disrespecting her in front of their children. Richards then took off a foot of the Converse All Stars sneakers he was wearing and used it to hit his wife on her breast, causing pain and swelling.

It is further reported that Richards then took $4,000 belonging to his wife from off the television stand and left the house.

The complainant reported the matter and Richards was subsequently arrested and charged with simple larceny and assault occasioning bodily harm.

When he appeared in court he pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife but denied stealing her money.

“How long have you been in marital bliss?” the judge asked him.

“Five months,” he answered.

Judge Wolfe-Reece then told Richards: “It’s early days; it’s the time of bliss, starry and glossy eyes. At seven years you get itch, but it’s too early so we are going to fix the problem.”

Richards’ bail was subsequently extended.

Man denies trying to rob motorist after being shot

A man who was shot by a licensed firearm holder after he reportedly held up a motorist and stole his $230,000 gold chain on Half-Way-Tree Road in Kingston, claimed he was just innocently walking along the road when shots rang out and he was shot.

Jermaine Watkins, 31, is facing charges of robbery with aggravation and unlawful wounding.

The court heard that on July 12 the complainant was in his car on Half-Way-Tree Road in traffic when the accused and another man held him up with a knife and the accused snatched his gold chain.

However, a licensed firearm holder came to the complainant’s rescue and shot the accused in his foot, causing him to fall to the ground. The chain was found on the ground but the other man escaped.

But last Tuesday when the matter was mentioned, Watkins’ attorney told the court that her client was not involved in the incident.

“He was just walking by when gunshots rang out and he fell, and when he looked up a man was standing over him with a gun. To my knowledge there was nothing taken from him — no knife or gold chain,” she said.

“What was taken from him, a bullet?” Judge Sanchia Burrell asked.

“Yes, a bullet. That was not something he took from anyone,” Jobson answered.

The judge then told the lawyer that robbery occurs frequently but she was very concerned about the way it happened and where, because Half-Way-Tree is a very popular and busy road.

The matter was set for August 11 for a bail application and Watkins was remanded.

Bag snatcher to know fate Tuesday

A man who snatched a woman’s bag in downtown Kingston, with her cellphone and $31,000 cash, is to be sentenced on August 15.

Lee Duncan was remanded when he appeared in court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to simple larceny.

He was arrested and charged after he stole a vendor’s bag in front of Coronation Market.

The complainant, who had bought some goods, was getting out of a taxi when she placed her handbag on some of the goods that she had taken out. However, when she was finished she realised her bag was missing.

She later learnt that Duncan was seen throwing her bag onto the roof of a bathroom inside the market. She retrieved the bag, however, the money and the phone were missing and she reported the matter.

The phone was returned to the complainant along with some of her cash.