Pregnant woman weeps after court ruling

A 27-year-old pregnant woman wept uncontrollably in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Friday when the man she is accused of chopping with a machete decided not to proceed with the case.

He said her nine-month-old baby is suffering because she is locked away.

Ruth-Ann Wilson was charged with unlawful wounding.

But as the complainant stepped in the courtroom, he told Presiding Judge Chester Crooks of his decision.

"Your Honour, I don't want to continue with the case anymore. She has a little baby at home and it is suffering," the complainant said before the court clerk asked Wilson to plead.

It is alleged that on the day in question, Wilson and the complainant got into an argument when she used a machete to chop him across his forearm.

She pleaded guilty to chopping the elderly man and when Crooks asked why she did it, Wilson said: "Mi feel like mi need fi deh pon some meds to calm down my nerves."

Crooks sentenced Wilson to 12 months of hard labour but suspended the sentence for two years.

"What this mean is that you are going home today," Crooks said.