Senior Parish Judge at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, Lori-Ann Cole-Montague briefly remanded a man accused of assaulting the mother of his child after he dared to laugh during sentencing, on Tuesday.

The man, Andre Edwards, also charged with malicious destruction of property, was also being sentenced for destroying the complainant’s perfumes, brushes, makeup and large speaker during an altercation at their house.

Before handing down her sentence, the judge offered words of advice to the parents who appeared to be having a hard time co-existing.

When it was revealed in court that the last occasion the couple had an altercation was on Monday, Cole-Montague said, “Weh you a argue ’bout sir? Because let me tell you where my judicial mind is, my mind is to lock you up. Me nuh like when people pick on the weaker ones, enuh, me need fi send you somewhere weh the competition fair, where other six-foot man deh.”

Hearing this, Edwards was seen laughing, which seemed to anger the judge.

“Why are you laughing? I don’t know what is so amusing to you,” she said.

Attempting to explain his actions, Edwards said, “What happened was she provoked me. I was sleeping and then she come and wake me and said she’s going on the road and the baby is upstairs.”

According to Edwards, when the complainant didn’t leave the house after informing him that she was leaving, he said he asked her “What you still doing here? ” which he claimed caused the argument.

This was denied by the complainant, who told the judge that he was not sleeping and she asked him for a key, as she was going on the road. She told the judge that since the time of her pregnancy she has been “sitting on steps waiting on him” to open the doors for her, sometimes for hours. His refusal to hand over the key, the complainant said, caused the argument.

This revaluation seemed to outrage the judge who ordered the man to turn over his keys to have one cut for the complainant. Hearing this, a senior justice of the peace offered to pay for this to be done.

With her daughter in hand, the complainant explained that she is “tired” of the constant arguing and disrespect. She detailed, with tears streaming down her face, how Edwards would belittle her, accuse her of cheating, demand that she leaves his house, and he would comment on having another lover.

“As you are talking just now, I am just looking at the innocence and beauty of this child, in the midst of this. You know that children pull from you? Sometimes we don’t think babies understand, babies can be very intuitive creatures, you know,” Cole-Montague said.

“This is the mother of your child… it’s hard to have respect for a man who degrades women in a particular way,” the judge stated.

In response, the complainant said, “Judge, we can’t stop arguing. I said to him, even if we don’t want each other, we nuh affi a trace.”

Reprimanding both parties about the use of abusive language, the judge said, “both of you need to clean up your language. Do not be surprised when she starts going to school and a caregiver tell her ‘don’t do that’ and she go say to them ‘move yuh whats-it-whats-it-not.’ Do not be surprised, you know why, she would have heard it from home. Stop it both of you, you cannot be so irresponsible in how you talk to each other.”

Edwards was once again seen laughing and this seemed to further angered the judge, who ordered that he be taken into custody.

He was held for approximately two-hours before he was brought back to the courtroom

His attorney, Peter King, said that he believed that there were improvements in the couple’s relationship in the early stage of the case, as they were going to counselling. However, this is no long the case.

Reflecting on their time together as a couple, the complainant explained that even though they knew each other from primary school, they only started dating two years ago. She told the judge, “this is a hurt woman speaking.”

Cole-Montague ordered further counselling for the couple. Sentencing was put off to gauge their responses to counselling. Both parties are to return to court on February 2, 2023