KINGSTON, Jamaica — A man was freed of assault charges with strict instructions to adhere to probation rules on risk of prison time when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.

The man who had been seated in the prisoner’s dock was accused of assaulting the mother of his child.

It was also revealed he had not been attending his probation sessions, drawing the ire of Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell.

When the female complainant arrived in court, she was carrying their young daughter, but an attempt to hand the toddler to an officer during the case proved ineffective as the child began to cry.

Allowed into the court, the youngster raced to her mother with a squeal of “mommy!” and then, without prejudice, turned to offer her father in the dock the same happy greeting, charming the entire court.

With this interaction, the complainant indicated a willingness to try mediation again following an initial failure.

She also cited that the co-parenting relationship had significantly improved outside of court.

Mediation later proved to be successful, and the assault and threat charges were dropped.

Judge Burrell, however, was extremely firm on her conditions, indicating that he should not miss a single probation session.

“If he squanders this chance, I will have no choice but to put him in prison,” she said.

— Dana Malcolm