Man breaks stepfather’s dentures in fight

An 69-year-old man pleaded with a judge for his 88-year-old common-law wife to return to their home soon, after the woman's son, with assistance from the police, took her to a facility for the elderly.

The man, who is the complainant in a matter against his wife's son, Klint Walters, made the impassioned plea on Thursday in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

"I miss her. I wake up in the mornings looking for her, wanting to make breakfast for her because that's what I do. I want her to come home," the complainant told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque.

It was shared with the court that on August 30, Walters and the complainant had an altercation. In the presence of the police, Walters punched the complainant in his face, causing his dentures to break. Walters pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and malicious destruction of property.

According to Walters, he went to the couple's house to have his mother removed from the premises as she complained of being abused and lonely. But the complainant, who is a taxi driver, denies abusing his wife and professed his love for the woman, with whom he has lived for more than five years. He stressed to the judge that since the altercation, he has not seen his wife.

Cole-Montaque ordered Walters to accompany the complainant to the facility where the woman resides to allow him to spend time with his wife.

"Your Honour, it's like you read my heart," the complainant said, expressing gratitude to the judge.

The matter was stood down in court for at least an hour. Upon their return to court, the complainant informed the judge that his wife wanted to come home with him.

"As I stepped onto the property, the place smelled like urine. She asked me for food because she didn't eat what they gave her this morning and it's the same thing they are forcing her to eat now. She wants to come home," he told the judge.

Cole-Montaque indicated that she admired the man's affection for his partner and stated that she understood the elderly woman's need for his company. The judge then requested the intervention of the probation department, in preparing a special community report. She asked that an interview be conducted with the woman and the complainant to have an understanding of how to proceed with the matter.

Walters is to compensate the complainant $90,000 for the broken dentures and a first payment of $35,000 was made in court. The matter was adjourned until November 23, when Walters is to be sentenced.