ST JAMES, Jamaica — The case against former councillor for the Montego Bay West Division, David Brown, who reportedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend during a confrontation in May last year, has been put off until March 8.

Brown, who is charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and malicious destruction of property, got the new court date and had his bail extended when he appeared in the St James Parish Court on Thursday.

Brown and the complainant had attended restorative justice sessions, but there was no resolution or agreement between the parties.

During the brief court hearing before presiding judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley, Brown’s lawyer, Albert Morgan, presented a witness statement and requested that the Crown contact the investigating officer to verify it.

Morgan also proposed that the case be removed from the criminal list and that the parties seek remedy in the Civil Court if they so desire.

The matter was subsequently set for mention on March 8, when the court will decide on the next steps to take.

The allegations against Brown are that, on May 28, 2023 the complainant, with whom he was in a relationship, was sitting in her car when Brown knocked on the vehicle’s window.

The two got into a dispute, during which Brown hit the complainant in her face, causing pain and swelling, and also damaged her car window.

Brown was subsequently suspended from the Jamaica Labour Party following his arrest and charge.

The embattled councillor had previously faced legal trouble in 2018 in relation to an outstanding warrant from the St James Family Court concerning a matter with the mother of his child, as well as for reportedly verbally abusing a woman on social media in March 2018.

Brown faced more legal issues after allegedly hitting a 65-year-old man with his licensed firearm on August 3, that year.

Brown spent five days in police custody before eventually being released.

In 2019, the assault case against Brown was dismissed after the complainant declared that he no longer wanted to pursue it.