MONTEGO BAY, St James — A man accused of assaulting his father is set to face trial on May 16, as the father has chosen not to pursue alternative dispute resolution methods.

The defendant, Andre Bennett, appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday before presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce and pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.

The allegations were not formally presented; however, according to the complainant, he was in the process of removing the lock on his son’s door when his son physically attacked him.

When asked by the judge about the reason for cutting off the lock, the complainant explained that Bennett owns a room on his property and that he wanted to evict Bennett because he had threatened to kill him.

The judge then asked the complainant why he hadn’t taken legal action to remove his son from the property. However, the complainant diverted the conversation by expressing concerns about conflicts with his son, citing instances in which Bennett sold his personal belongings, including clothing and furniture.

However, the judge persisted in asking why he did not take legal action to remove his son from the land he owns, a point on which the complainant chose not to elaborate.

“How would you like this matter to be resolved? Would you like to talk about it at mediation and see if you can come up with a solution?” the judge then asked the complainant.

“I am tired of going to mediation and it not working out,” the complainant said.

Judge Grant-Pryce then set the matter for trial on May 16 and extended Bennett’s bail.