Women sentenced for stoning another female

Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque condemned the behaviour of three women for stoning another female in the presence of security personnel last December.

"Soldiers with M16 [rifles], in a position that they could not do anything at all, and in the face of that, you were throwing stones and fighting. It does not get more brazen than that, it does not get more offensive than that, and I don't know to this moment why the police offered. Bail but the two weeks you spent in custody, I am glad it was uncomfortable," Cole-Montaque said.

She was addressing Chrisann Miller, Chrissette Miller and Samoy Goddishaw, who pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray on a previous occasion in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court. They were before the court on Monday to be sentenced. Their lawyers, Sanjay Smith for Goddishaw and Nicholett Hamilton for the Millers, begged for non-custodial sentences.

"I found that the behaviour was outrageous. Shame on you! Shame on you because you ought to have known better," the senior judge chided further. The complainant indicated to the court that her arms were still bruised from the attack.

"The woman was battered. Looks like I am going to have to send a message to Kingston Central [Police Division] because you guys come here every other week [for the same offence]. It cannot continue, this lawlessness of the country," the judge said. The police liaison officer for the division added that the lawmen "are tired of the offenders".

"Since they have been in custody, we have not had any incident of stone throwing but I hope this will be a learning lesson for them. We are trying as a division to turn their lives around," the officer told the judge. Deeply angered by the women's actions, Cole-Montaque ordered that as part of their sentence, the defendants must apologise in court to the victim.

"I am sorry for throwing stones at you. These two weeks have teach me a lot, to not let my ignorance take over. I hope you accept my apology," Chrisann Miller told the complainant.

On each count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, the women were each sentenced to six months' imprisonment at hard labour suspended for 18 months. For the offence of affray, the judge imposed a fine of $20,000 or six month's imprisonment.