WhatsApp threat lands woman in trouble

An infuriated judge ordered that a woman be remanded after hearing that she was threatening the complainant in her case.

Samantha Hall appeared before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Monday for unlawful wounding and was expected to carry money for compensation. However, she was remanded when the complainant shared with Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague that Hall had threatened her on social media.

The court heard that Hall posted on her WhatsApp status, "Tired fi tell unnu a one gal army this. Me nuh mind siddung in jail. Me will stab and acid (the name of the complainant), she a work fi a next beating. A bet yuh seh me fix her again after court done." Hall confessed her intentions to carry out the attack on the complainant. However, that did not appease Cole-Montague.

"You people have no regard for the court, even to mention the very court in your idle, careless posting. Unnu have no regard for the court. Madam, where you stand is very different from where the complainant is and I can tell you now, you nah go home today. You people are so disgusting," she said sternly.

Cole-Montague expressed disappointment that persons were not able to walk away from conflict and have increasingly shown disregard for the court of law.

"We a big people and when we want to assert our rights, Jamaicans love to talk bout 'me a big man and me a big woman, and nobody nuh fi style me'. But you style the court and you style me, so, you ago pay for that," she said.

Cole-Montague became even more enraged when she heard that Hall, who was expected to present $30,000 in compensation, only carried $4,000.

"You a drop big talk and nah nuh money? Look here, prepare her cell for me please. Unfortunately for you Ma'am, the last time I checked there is no holding area in the Corporate Area to accommodate you, there is none in Clarendon, so I believe you will be spending the night in Porus, Manchester, and dem nuh have visiting. And since you call each other gal, hot gal fi have them money, you hear?" the judge said.

Hall is expected to return to court on July 27.