A Senior Parish Judge at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court could not hide her shock after learning that three women were brought before her after they were in a fight over an altercation arising from $1,000 – resulting in one person being left with serious injuries to her neck, face and nose.

Chrissian Wint, 23, and Brianna Daley, 22, were both charged with assault occasioning actual harm, however, they pleaded not guilty to the charge when they stood before Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague.

But, despite their not-guilty pleas, Wint and Daley told the judge that they did indeed fight on the day the complainant was injured.

The court was told that the complainant wanted to celebrate her birthday on September 7, 2022, with seven women at a Bed and Breakfast in Barbican in St Andrew. Knowing that Daley was not financially stable, the complainant offered to foot the bill for her.

With all three women residing in Portmore, St Catherine, and after they offered to give her $2000 for gas, the complainant agreed to carry them to Half Way Tree in St Andrew, before the scheduled time for the party, so that Daley could attend her waxing class.

According to the complainant, later in the evening, she received a call from Daley asking to take her back to Portmore to collect her clothes for the party, as she did not carry it with her. After refusing, the complainant said Daley told her that she was stranded and demanded the $2000 back, she agreed and they met at Barbican Centre.

The woman said after handing Daley the last $1000 she had on her, an argument ensued when Dale demanded the other $1000. Then the altercation escalated in a fight, resulting in her being struck from behind in the neck while attempting to drive out of the parking lot, causing her face to slam in the steering wheel. The fight, the complainant said, spiralled out of control after they all exited the vehicle.

The complainant said she is now suffering from depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and she would need 36 months of treatment, according to her therapist.

Defending her action, Wint said, “she threatened [me] that she was going to hit me in my face… she dragged me out of the car.”

“You are not doing a good job choosing your friends,” the judge said in response. “This is a birthday you will never forget.”

A medical report showing that the complainant sought treatment on September 8, 2022, revealed that the woman suffered “swelling to her posterior neck, swelling to the nasal bone and swelling to the frontal bone,” which was inflicted by blunt-force trauma, with the doctor believing that the “injuries are serious.”

After hearing this, Wint and Dale agreed to pay restitution in the sum of $180,000 ($90,000 each.) Their first payment is to be made on March 1 in the sum of $30,000.

“This is careless behaviour, a come a court fi $1,000 argument… People have their liberty and [are] just being abusive. This is unbecoming… The face of criminality [has] changed, a some a di prettiest face dem a come court,” the judge said.

Cole-Montague also added conditions to their bails, ordering that Wint and Dale surrender their travel documents and report to the nearest police station on Tuesday and Thursday. They were also ordered to have no communication with the complainant.