A 43-year-old grandfather was reportedly arrested recently by the St. Ann’s Bay police, in connection with the sexual abuse of his 10-year-old granddaughter. He appeared in the St Ann’s Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court, where he was granted bail.
Allegations are that the grandfather, a businessman, had sex with his grandaughter who lives with him on several occasions. The child reportedly told her school’s guidance counselor what was happening, and the grandfather was later arrested and charged.
Two women, who were entangled in a bloody brawl over a man that they both claimed to be their sweetheart, and who bit each other severely during the fight, were chased out of the Old Harbour Resident Magistrate’s court recently by St. Catherine Resident Magistrate, Simone Wolfe-Reece.
The two, Marlene Whittingham (41 year old, unemployed of Vere, Clarendon) and Claudette Bennett (46 year old secretary of Longville Park, Clarendon) ended up in court on charges of assault occasioning bodily harm to each other. Whittingham pleaded not guilty to biting Bennett on the hand, back and face and causing her bodily harm. However, after both women gave evidence, R.M. Wolfe-Reece admonished them for fighting over the man, and told them to get out of her sight. The women reportedly hung their heads and shame-facedly crept out of the court room.
Whittingham is to return to court on January 8, to face a charge of unlawfully wounding Bennett, during a fight over the same man in July, 2008.
As crime continues to be more and more prevalent and rampant in Jamaica, thieves and criminals are becoming even more brazen. In what must be one of the biggest ironies of all, car thieves in downtown Kingston reportedly stole a Nissan Sunny motor vehicle that was owned by a policeman. The twist, was that it was stolen from the premises of the Court of Appeal, the highest law court in the land.
According to reports, the incident occurred last week Thursday (November 26), shortly before noon. The policeman, who works at the Court of Appeal building, noticed that his car was missing from where it had been parked earlier. Unconfirmed reports quote eye witnesses as saying two men simply walked unto the compound and used a key to open the car door, before driving it away.
Car thieves have long targeted the Nissan make of vehicle, with the Sunny model being a particular favorite. Eight Nissan Sunnys have reportedly been stolen in Downtown Kingston since the start of the year.
19 year old Fray Manning, of a Windsor Heights, St. Catherine address, pleaded guilty to a charge of simple larceny of $308,057 (a church’s collection/offering money), and sentenced yesterday to 1 year imprisonment at hard labour.
The court heard that on October 27 of this year, at about 9:30 a.m., a deacon took his church’s offering to the National Commercial Bank Portmore branch for lodgment. As he parked the car and was getting out, Manning reportedly ran up to him, grabbed the bag with the tithes (money) and ran off. The deacon called for help, and got assistance from persons who chased Manning and caught him. He was handed over to the police and arrested and charged.
A 61 year old security guard, of a Spanish Town address, appeared before the Spanish Town criminal court yesterday, where he faced charges of rape and indecent assault on his 16 year old step daughter. He was denied bail and remanded in custody where he will remain until December 8 when the case will be heard again.
Allegations are that on August 29 of this year at about 10 p.m., the man and his step daughter were at home, when he went to her bedroom and demanded sex. She refused, but he managed to fondle her and then he left the house. The following night, he again fondled her and also managed to have sexual intercourse with her.
The matter was reported to the police, and after investigations, the man was arrested and charged.
