Woman gets black eye for wanting 'chiney man'

The Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court erupted in laughter yesterday after a man confessed to punching the mother of his child in her eyes because she told somebody she would "deh wid a Chiney man".

The aggressor, Ryan McKenzie, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, and will have to pay the complainant $10,000 on his next court appearance.

"Your Honour, me and him not together. Me and some of my friends were talking. We saw some Chinese people come up by Devon House and mi say mi woulda deh wid a Chiney man. Mi friend ask me if a fi him money or him private and mi say nuh must him money, Chiney man nuh have nothing," the complainant told the court.

It was that admission that reportedly caused McKenzie to punch his child's mother in the face.

"My friend told me that she said something and I go to her and we started to fight," he said.

With persons in the courtroom fighting hard to contain themselves, the complainant said:"Your Honour, he had the baby in his hand and I had the ballon and him punch me and me punch him back. Him punch me and mi punch him back and the security come and hold on to him, and him sey me sey me want Chiney man."

The area around the affected eye reportedly turned black and blue, and the eye was red for days.

McKenzie is to return to court on July 31, when he will be sentenced.