Senior magistrate orders farmer to pay $1,000.00 for kicking child

Forty-five-year-old Bernard Clarke of Queen’s Drive has until next week Friday 16th November to pay $1,000.00 compensation for kicking a five-year-old boy.
Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett handed down the order on Monday after Clarke pleaded guilty to assaulting the child.
Clarke said his head was nice when he kicked the little boy. Clarke committed the offense after he and the boy’s grandfather got into an argument.
The court heard that the argument started after the boy’s grandfather asked Clarke to go and buy barbecued chicken for him and he refused, saying that the boy’s mother, who he admitted he had a great liking for, usually has a lot of male friends around her so she should ask one of them to go and buy the chicken. As a result, an argument started and the boy’s mother went to call the police. As the argument ensued, Clarke kicked the boy in his chest.
“I am looking at him and I am seeing my grandchild in front of me. We have to protect children, we can’t abuse them,” Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett said as he looked at the little boy standing in the witness box beside his mother.
The court further heard that Clarke works on a fowl farm and owns two cattle. One of the cattle, he said, was valued $3,000.00.
“Suppose I order you to that child one of your cattle?” the Senior Magistrate asked
Clarke said he did not mind.
“Because you don’t want to go jail?” the Senior Magistrate said.:
Speaking about Clarke’s interest in the boy’s mother, the Senior Magistrate asked him if he ever expressed that love to her. He said yes but she never answered.
“I am not saying that you had a chance, but any chance you might have had is gone,” Senior Magistrate Burnett told Clarke.