Following an unsuccessful mediation attempt, a man accused of using his father’s hammer to hit him in the head, causing a wound, is to stand trial.

Troy Jarrett, who is facing a charge of unlawful wounding, appeared in the St James Parish Court last Wednesday.

According to the prosecution’s case file, on March 22 the complainant visited his daughter’s house in Cornwall Courts, where he and his son got into an argument.

During the dispute, Jarrett allegedly took a hammer belonging to his father and struck him in the head, causing a wound.

When the case was called up before presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley, tension between the father and son played out in court, despite the fact that the complainant stated it was the first time something like this had occurred.

The matter was briefly adjourned to allow the parties to speak with a mediator who was present in court, but the mediation session was unsuccessful.

“What do you hope to see come out of this case?” the judge asked the complainant after the case was revisited.

“I want a penalty,” the complainant said.

“So what is that penalty?” the judge asked.

“I want him to go to prison,” the complainant told the judge.

Justice Smith-Ashley advised the complainant that the case could not be tried immediately because the medical certificate was still outstanding.

The case was rescheduled for June 1, and Jarrett’s bail was extended.

Instagram ad proves costly for woman

A woman accused of using a bogus driver’s licence to apply for her child’s passport was on Wednesday fined $100,000 when she appeared in the St James Parish Court.

Shanae Garwood pleaded guilty to uttering a forged document before presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley

The incident came to light on April 3 after Garwood went to the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) office in Fairview to apply for a passport for her daughter.

Upon presenting the application and the driver’s licence, the customer service representative thoroughly examined the licence and detected irregularities.

Enquiries were made at Tax Administration Jamaica and it was discovered that the licence was not issued by the agency.

When questioned about how she received the driver’s licence, Garwood stated that she obtained it after seeing an Instagram advertisement that provided instructions on how to obtain one while in the United States. She further stated that she paid $60,000 for the licence and received it via FedEx.

Garwood’s lawyer, Henry McCurdy, mitigated the charge by claiming that she was gullible and begged for mercy, while also pleading with the judge to consider her young child.

Smith-Ashley acknowledged the counsel’s input and noted that the defendant ought to have been aware that a driving test was a prerequisite for obtaining a driver’s licence.

She was fined $100,000 or 30 days in jail.

Man accused of beating estranged wife’s lover

A St James man accused of beating his estranged wife’s lover after seeing her being escorted into his house reached an out-of-court settlement and was cleared of assault charges.

Kirkland Green made an appearance in the St James Parish Court last Wednesday to face charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and unlawful wounding. The complainant was not present in court.

According to the allegations, the complainant was at his Tate Street home on the night of March 29 when he went outside to usher in his lover. While escorting her inside the house, Green allegedly assaulted him, resulting in cuts and bruises all over his body.

“So are you separated from your wife?” the judge asked the accused man.

“Yes, Your Honour. She said she needs some space,” Green explained.

According to Green, he and his wife had reached an agreement outside of court, and he subsequently handed over a signed document to the court as proof of the resolution.

After copying the document, it was added to the prosecution’s case file, and the Crown offered no evidence against Green.