Father and daughter fight over food

A St James man who admitted to kicking his daughter in her head and belly during a confrontation over food, had his bail extended to November 6 when he appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.

Garnet Dockery, of a King Gate address, pleaded guilty with explanation to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. His daughter, the 23 year-old complainant, was not in court. Allegations are that, on September 26 at 6:50 p.m., the complainant was at the house she shares with her father when she took some food from the kitchen and went to her room. Moments later, Dockery entered his daughter's room, knocked the plate onto her bed, and then hit her in her face and dragged her by her hair.

The complainant ran to the hallway where Dockery gave chase and hit her in the head, knocking her over, stomped on her head and neck, and kicked her in her stomach. Dockery then went to the kitchen and returned with a machete, whereupon the complainant ran from the house and went to stay with a relative. In explaining himself to presiding Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, Dockery said that the incident unfolded because his daughter was constantly disrespecting him and eating food he bought for the rest of their family.

"I am a renal patient, plus I had a stroke, and right now one of my eyes is gone. She [complainant] stopped working from early January and I went and begged and pleaded for a job for her. But she will sit and eat right through the night. Everything I buy for my grandchildren, she just eat, eat, eat," said Dockery.

"I went to her and said 'You can't be doing that.' I boxed the plate from her hand and she grabbed me and boxed me. I am upset because I am being disrespected," Dockery continued, adding that the complainant damaged a door during the fight.

"Did you make a report, Mr Dockery?" asked Fairclough-Hylton.

"Yes, I made a report to the Anchovy police, but they cannot find her ... they have the photographs with how she destroyed the house," Dockery replied.

The matter was set for continuation on November 6, and Dockery's bail was extended.