Bartender stabbed during fight

An unsuccessful attempt at mediation between two women, one of whom is alleged to have used a pair of scissors to stab the other during a fight in a bar, has resulted in the matter being set for mention in the St James Parish Court.

The accused, Aontonetta Wedderburn, is charged with unlawful wounding.

The allegations before the court are that on April 18, the complainant was working as a bartender at her establishment on Union Street in Montego Bay, when Wedderburn, who was a patron in the bar, got into a fight with another patron. The complainant intervened in the brawl, and Wedderburn stabbed her in her left arm with a pair of scissors.

The matter was referred for mediation on Wednesday, but the parties told the presiding judge, Sasha-Marie Ashley, that it was unsuccessful.

Mediation is a strategy employed by the courts as a method of settling disputes and reducing the pressure on the justice system.

After hearing the allegations on Wednesday, the judge remarked that it "sounds like it was one too many drinks of rum".

The judge then asked the defendant if she would consider mediation, and she said it "depends on the complainant".

The case was briefly stood down to allow the parties to speak to a mediator. However, it was subsequently revealed that the matter was not resolved, as while the complainant wanted Wedderburn to pay her medical bills, Wedderburn likewise wanted to be reimbursed for her own injuries from the incident.

"You have better things to do than to be in court. I am going to send you to restorative justice, as it seems deeper dialogue needs to happen between you," Judge Ashley declared before ordering the parties to return to court on May 31.

- Christopher Thomas