MONTEGO BAY, St James — Sixty-five-year-old Courtney Miller and a woman he allegedly slapped in the face came to an amicable agreement in the St James Parish Court through mediation on Wednesday.

Miller appeared before presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, charged with assault occasioning bodily harm. He was accused of slapping the complainant on July 12 after she voiced her dislike for him.

According to court records, the complainant was on her way to a shop in Rose Heights, St James, when the defendant called to her. She told him he should not call to her because she does not like him.

That did not sit well with Miller, who allegedly grabbed the complainant’s neck and slapped her in the face saying, “Hey gyal, yuh gwaan like yuh a bad gyal in a dis!”

The matter was reported to the police and Miller was arrested and charged.

When Fairclough-Hylton asked Miller why he grabbed the complainant, he informed the judge that the complainant was a troublemaker who had disrespected him by telling him, “S… yuh madda!”This is a derogatory expression that is often used in Jamaican culture.

The judge then asked the defendant if it was worth going to prison for three years simply because the complainant said that to him.

At that point, the court clerk indicated that the complainant was open to mediation.

The proceedings were briefly halted to allow the parties to participate in a mediation session facilitated by a mediator who was present in court.

When the case was revisited, the court was told that the parties had reached a mutually beneficial agreement.

As a result, the prosecution offered no evidence against Miller and he was discharged.