ST JAMES, Jamaica — A heated verbal exchange between neighbours escalated, leaving one woman nursing a bite to her thumb and the other facing a criminal charge.

The accused, Chyril Brown, is now before the St James Parish Court on a charge of unlawful wounding.

According to details revealed in court, the incident occurred at approximately 11:55 am on January 19 when the complainant was visiting a friend in Rose Heights, St James.

What started as the trading of barbs reportedly flared into a full-blown confrontation. It is alleged that, in the heat of the moment, Brown bit the complainant on her right thumb, leaving a visible wound.

While the severity of the injury is still to be determined by a medical certificate, it was serious enough to spark police action. Brown was later arrested and charged.

In a bid to settle the matter quietly, the case was steered toward mediation. But with no resolution emerging from those closed-door talks, the dispute is now back in the courtroom, heading toward trial on July 2.

With that date approaching, Brown remains out on bail, bracing herself for a legal battle that could leave a lasting mark on her reputation.