Man punches daughter for arriving late from school

A St James man, who allegedly punched his 14-year-old daughter and threatened to cut her throat, managed to avoid a prison term after he and the complainant's mother settled their family issues through mediation.

The man, whose identity is being withheld to protect the child, was before the St James Parish Court on a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Allegations are that on November 29, 2022, the complainant returned home from school about 5:30 p.m., when her father accosted her and accused her of walking home with a male student.

The father reportedly grabbed his daughter and pushed her outside the house, punched her in her right eye and kicked her feet, causing her to fall and hit her head. It is further alleged that he took a knife and threatened to cut the girl's throat, following which a relative intervened and took her to another location.

The police were called, and under caution the father allegedly said, "Mi know a wha mi do, and it nuh right." He was subsequently arrested and charged.

When he appeared before Parish Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton last Wednesday, he denied punching his daughter in her face.

"I came home, and I noticed the time got late, and I saw her [complainant] coming in and she was with somebody. When she came in I said, 'I never expect you to reach home at this time. This is a very serious time, and I keep on talking to you over and over that if you leave school, just come home.' And it was like she never business," the father told the court.

The court was subsequently ordered a mediation session involving the accused man and the complainant's mother. The court was later informed that the mediation had succeeded. Thereafter, no evidence was offered against the father.