A porter was brought before the court on Tuesday, accused of injuring his co-worker’s shoulder during a dispute over garbage.

Carlisle McKoy pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he stood before Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

The court was told that on October 25, McKoy and the complainant, a specialist nurse, had a dispute over garbage that needed to be removed, when the accused allegedly used his hand to hit the complainant on her shoulder.

The woman told the court that the incident has left her unable to move her left arm – which she was observed cradling during the court proceeding – and afraid to go to work.

However, defending himself, McKoy said, “When I passed her, If I had bounced her, I would have bounced her on her right shoulder.”

He went on to tell the judge that “they were disrespecting” him about the dustbin and alleged that the complainant, during the altercation, tried to intimidate him. He alleged that the nurse “picked up a chair” and said “you want me to fight.”

Speaking again, the nurse told the judge that after McKoy was arrested, a man in a hoodie drove up to her on a bike and said, “if McKoy go to jail,” she is going to “be over there,” with “over there being the May Pen Cemetery.”

After listening to all the testimonies, Cole-Montague made a fingerprint order for McKoy and adjusted his bail conditions.

He was ordered to make no contact with the complainant and to report to the nearest police station on Mondays and Thursdays. McKoy was also ordered to surrender all travel documents, and a stop order was made for all ports and airports.

Both parties are to return to the court on March 7, to facilitate file completion.