Don’t put him in jail!
Woman asks to drop case against ex who threatened to kill her
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jermaine Smith was handed a sentence of 40 hours of community service on Wednesday in the St James Parish Court, closing a tense and emotional case marked by violence and the breakdown of a relationship.
Smith was charged with malicious destruction of property following an incident on May 22 that left his ex-girlfriend visibly shaken and her home damaged.
Though the facts pointed to a violent outburst, it was the complainant’s heartfelt appeal that influenced the sentence. She told the court she was no longer interested in pursuing the case and did not want Smith to be imprisoned, citing his responsibilities as a father. Instead, she requested a restraining order.
Senior Parish Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton instructed her to pursue that order through the Family Court, then turned to the matter of sentencing.
According to court documents, the incident unfolded about 7:00 pm when Smith showed up at the woman’s house and began issuing threats from outside.
“Mi haffi come kill yuh wid a knife,” he allegedly threatened.
The allegations are that, in a fit of rage, Smith damaged the front gate, attempted to break both the front and back doors, and hurled stones at the house.
The woman later reported the matter to police, leading to Smith’s arrest and charge.
In an earlier court appearance the complainant gave a detailed account of her ordeal, stating that Smith had, at one point, kept her captive because he didn’t want her to leave. She also said he had taken her phone to prevent her from calling for help or alerting the authorities.
When given a chance to speak Smith claimed the complainant had previously threatened his life but he took no action because he was in love with her and didn’t want her to end up in jail.
When asked whether he still wanted to pursue the relationship, Smith said he did, but acknowledged it was the woman’s choice.
“The answer is no; there is zero hope of you being in a relationship with her,” the judge said unequivocally.
The complainant, without hesitation, echoed, “No!”
On Wednesday the court balanced the severity of Smith’s actions with the complainant’s request for leniency, resulting in the sentence of 40 hours of community service.
