Belair resident Tevin Miller would soon know whether or not he is not be fined or suffer imprisonment for his actions on June 1, 2021.
The Serious Offences Court heard, on Monday, that the 17-year-old accused approached Shenneka Charles, a 35-year-old parent of Redemption Sharpes, while she was at the Little Tokyo bus terminal.
Miller solicited some monies from her on behalf of her daughter, with whom he was in a relationship at the time. Charles refused to oblige his request.
Miller would, soon after, happen upon the mother and daughter in a heated confrontation and, according to Prosecutor Corporal 754 Tekisha Harry’s description of the facts, he told Charles to “let go of his woman bag.”
Charles reported to the police that she told him to “stay out of her business” and carried on with arguing with her daughter.
“All of a sudden please your honor, the virtual complainant felt a slap on the left side of her face from the defendant. As a result, she reported the matter to the police,” Harry read.
Miller, when asked, pleaded guilty to the charge that he did inflict grievous bodily harm to the virtual complainant who was, said to be in Bequia and as such, absent from the day’s proceedings.
The youngster was not represented by legal counsel in the matter. He told the Court that he was a construction worker who dropped out of the West St. George Secondary School’s third form three years ago.
When asked to mitigate Miller was quiet until Rechanne Browne, the Chief Magistrate, prompted him.
He responded, “yeah, ah feel ah how foo hit she cause she talk.”
Although he has no previous convictions the Court was minded that the “complainant suffered an injury to her face and damages to her ear.”
Browne again inquired of the defendant whether or not he thought that Charles was engaging her child “as a parent should.” He agreed.
The magistrate then requested Miller’s mother, Shevern Williams, to be present since she was about to remand him into custody until Thursday, July 29, 2021.
Browne explained that she was unwilling to impose a sentence because she felt it was necessary to follow up with Charles’ recuperation.
“I want to know if there are any improvements or side effects caused by the injury,” she said while noting that such an injury could be potentially debilitating to the victim.
The Chief Magistrate would later have cause to interrupt Assistant Superintendent of Police Elgin Richards’ evidence in chief to scold the youngster for his none too subtle glare which he cast on Prosecutor Corporal 754 Tekisha Harry when she attempted to have him correct his posture in the Courtroom.
“You see them kinda looks? You have a clear problem with authority and respect. All the officer said was ‘sit up’ and the look you gave her, that was not necessary.
“That is why you find yourself in conflict with the law. That was wholly disrespectful.”
Chief Magistrate Browne, as one of the last in Court duties of the day, reversed her earlier decision and released the teenager in the care of his mother after he begged her to reconsider the temporary jail sentence.
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