A judge in the St James Parish Court on Friday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of St James resident Latyroy Fearon, who failed to show in court to answer to an assault charge.

Fearon and Michael Rose were arrested after they allegedly pepper sprayed a mechanic before breaking his arm.

The accused man’s repeated failure to acknowledge his name being called prompted presiding judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley to issue the bench warrant. The legal action is necessary to ensure Fearon’s presence in court for future proceedings.

The two men had started restitution payments, but the agreed-upon amount is unclear.

Smith-Ashley emphasised the importance of Fearon improving his payment plan on the previous mention date, July 28, because his outstanding balance of $226,000 was significantly higher than Rose’s balance of $88,000.

Rose, who appeared in court on Friday, gave the complainant $31,000 and now has a balance of $57,000.

He had his bail extended until October 6.

Both men were allegedly involved in a dispute with the complainant, and on February 28 they allegedly went to his place of business on Dean’s Lane and attacked him while his back was turned.

They allegedly squirted pepper spray into his eyes, causing temporary blindness, and broke his left arm with a metal pipe.

The matter was reported to the police and both men were arrested and charged.

October 2 trial for man, after hammer attack on dad

A St James man who has accused his son of hitting him in his head with a hammer, remains resolute in his decision to pursue a trial, seeking justice for the alleged incident.

The defendant, Troy Jarrett, appeared in the St James Parish Court on Friday to face the unlawful wounding charge.

Despite the father’s strong stance to have his son imprisoned, the court felt it was crucial to explore alternative solutions that prioritise the well-being of both parties involved. Mediation could provide a neutral platform for them to address their issues and potentially reach a mutually agreeable solution. However, without the father’s willingness to participate, it becomes challenging to pursue that avenue further.

The trial was supposed to start on Friday, but Jarrett’s lawyer, Henry McCurdy, who had previously withdrawn from the case, had not been served with the relevant documents and had another matter to deal with in another court.

As a result, presiding judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley rescheduled the accused man’s trial for October 2 and extended his bail.

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.

Man allegedly tells cop he doesn’t ‘love man’, when officer requests search

A man’s disruptive behaviour during a routine patrol in the Flanker community in June landed him before the St James Parish Court.

In the midst of the incident, he caused physical harm to one of the officers by injuring his lip, resulting in his upcoming trial in October.

Owen Waite, who hails from St James, appeared before presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley on Friday, charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and unlawful wounding. He is represented by attorney-at-law Henry McCurdy.

According to prosecutors, on June 7 about 1:20 pm, police officers were conducting patrol in Flanker when a police corporal approached Waite and requested a search, to which he replied, “Stop following me up because I don’t love man.”

The officer continued to search him, and he resisted. When the officer attempted to remove a bag from his possession, Waite punched him in the mouth, injuring both lips, the court heard.

Another officer intervened, and Waite also fought that officer who eventually arrested him.

The accused man, who maintained his innocence, had his trial date set for October 17, providing him with an opportunity to present his case in court. In the meantime, his bail was extended, allowing him to remain free until the trial proceedings.

Woman before court for fraudulently obtaining

A St James woman accused of using fraudulent bank statements in order to obtain a loan from a financial institution, is now awaiting word on whether or not the complainant is interested in using alternative dispute resolution.

The defendant, Jade Wanliss, appeared before the St James Parish Court on Friday to answer to a charge of obtaining credit by fraud. She is represented by attorney-at-law Michael Hemmings.

According to court documents, Wanliss obtained a loan of $1 million from the Fairview Branch of the National Commercial Bank (NCB) in March of this year by submitting fraudulent bank statements to the bank and successfully obtaining the loan, which was disbursed to her loan account.

Two months later, in an attempt to obtain a second loan, she submitted bank statements that were suspected of being fraudulent, and the loan was denied.

The matter was reported to the Area One Fraud Squad, and following an investigation, Wanliss was arrested and charged.

No one from the bank was present in court on Friday, and presiding judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley stated that a representative should have been in attendance.

She then urged the clerk of court to contact the bank in order to have one of the managers attend court to see if mediation could be explored.

The case was rescheduled for September 14, and Wanliss’s bail was extended.