A dispute about a vehicle blocking a lane in Seaview Gardens, St Andrew, left a man nursing stab wounds and his ex-girlfriend with an injury on her left ear, the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court heard last Tuesday.

Tiffany Perkins and Anthony Abrahams both pressed charges against each other and were subsequently charged with unlawful wounding.

The court was told that about 7:00 am on March 21, Perkins’ boyfriend parked his vehicle in a lane in their community. However, it blocked the path, preventing Abrahams from transporting his children to school.

Abrahams requested that the vehicle be moved but an argument started between the two, which quickly became physical.

According to Perkins, Abrahams used a Guinness bottle to hit her, cutting her ear. However, Abrahams denied this.

Instead, he said it was Perkins who threw a cup of liquor she was drinking in his face and then stabbed him in the neck and back.

“Where were the children in all of this?” Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague asked.

“In the car, and mi big aunty was in the car too,” Abrahams answered.

But Perkins told the judge that, “Every minute him see mi a pure problem”. She also told the judge that their relationship ended due to infidelity on Abrahams’ path.

“Me and one girl did a share the same man,” she said.

When the judge asked if they were willing to have the matter mediated through the Restorative Justice programme, Abrahams agreed, but Perkins said she is not willing to go to mediation.

“What is the reason why you don’t want to try mediation? You know why I think there might be some benefit to do [this], because it sounds to me that your paths [are] going to cross. Don’t you live in the same sort of area?” the judge asked

Abrahams answered, “Yes, your honour.”

“What I don’t want is for there to be a repeat of this,” the judge continued.

“Fine, your honour,” said the 25-year-old woman, sulking.

Unsettled by Perkins’ tone, Cole-Montague said, “Look at me real good, ma’am. As old time people would say, mi an’ you a nuh size and companion. I’m not saying that to be disrespectful, but understand where you are, you are in a court. I am here trying to resolve as best as possible [the matter], because a nuh him one charge, the two a unuh stand up in a prisoner’s dock.”

After it was established that they would both attend mediation, the judge warned Perkins and Abrahams not to interfere with each other.

They were both ordered to return to court on June 13, when it will be determined if mediation was successful.