Woman beaten for staying out too long

A Corporate Area man who admitted to assaulting his child's mother in the presence of the infant was ordered to attend anger management counselling sessions.

Anthony Brooks pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Thursday in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

It was shared that some time in June, there was an argument between the complainant and Brooks, about who should pay the bills at their home. Brooks, the court heard, threw a laptop at the complainant, hitting her in her forehead causing bruising and swelling. It was further reported that on July 21, the complainant left Brooks at their home to supervise their child. About 7 p.m., Brooks contacted the complainant and said, "Me a guh lick yuh inna yuh face. Weh yuh gone lef the baby fi so long?"

Sometime thereafter, the complainant returned to the house and upon her arrival, an argument developed between herself and Brooks. He cursed her for leaving the house for the prolonged period and started hitting the complainant in her face and body.

"Is the first time him doing it," the complainant told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque.

"Do you think he needs help? Do you think he had an anger problem?" queried the senior jurist, to which the complainant nodded her head.

On the first count of assault, Brooks was made the subject of a probation order for a year and is to receive anger management counselling. On the second count, the judge sentenced him to six months' imprisonment at hard labour for a year, suspended for 18 months.

"Walk on the straight and narrow," Judge Cole-Montaque warned. - T.T.