ST JAMES, Jamaica — A street vendor who assaulted a municipal officer after the lawman spoke to her about her illegal street activities was admonished and discharged when she appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.

Francine Fletcher appeared before presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

According to court records, on April 22, the complainant was carrying out his duties along St James Street when he noticed the accused had placed her mannequin in the middle of the road and ordered her to move it.

Fletcher became agitated and yelled at the officer, who then proceeded to pick up the mannequin, and as he was about to do so, she pushed his hand away and hit him on the left side of his face, causing swelling and pain.

“Are you supposed to be displaying items there?” Smith-Ashley asked the accused.

“No, Your Honour, but it was their time to finish working,” Fletcher answered.

Smith-Ashley, however, informed her it didn’t matter if their working hours were over.

The judge then asked the officer if it was his first encounter with her, and he said, “No”, adding that she was a problematic lady.

“She has been very abusive, not only to the municipal police but also to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)…We have been warning and cautioning her on a daily basis, and there are some words coming out of her mouth that are not nice,” the officer said.

“Disrespect towards the officers who are working for the St James Municipal Corporation cannot be continued,” the officer added.

When the judge asked the officer if she could admonish and discharge her, the officer stated that he does not want to have a hard heart against her because we are all human beings, but that she needs to understand and know the purpose of the officers being out there.

“I will forgive her and just make this be the first and the last,” the officer added.

“Miss Fletcher, you need to understand that he is there to do his duty to keep our streets orderly and safe,” the judge told the accused before asking if she had anything to say to him.

She then openly apologised to the officer before being admonished and discharged.