Neighbours fight over clothes line

Two residents of Denham Town, Kingston, are to attend mediation, after sharing in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court that they were involved in an altercation over the use of a clothes line.

Details of the altercation were shared by one of the accused, Ladonna Braham, who is charged in a case and cross case with her neighbour Marlon James. Both accused are charged with unlawful wounding.

"Him punch me in my face," Braham related.

"Just so?" Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell quizzed.

"I went to him and I tell him that I want to use the clothes line. The way how the community set up, Your Honour, some people have inside line. I put up four outside line for myself to use, and I tell him that I want to use the line. Him ask me weh him supposed to put his clothes then, and I tell him I don't know but I want the line. Him start argue and his wife said to him to just take up the clothes off the line," the woman shared further.

Braham said that while James was removing the clothes, he continued to argue.

"We a go toe to toe Your Honour and him start fight me so me did affi defend myself. Him all come inna me house come beat me, Your Honour," Braham told the senior judge.

James stood quietly in the prisoner's dock, only responding when the judge asked his occupation.

"I work in the procurement department of the Jamaica Fire Brigade," he said.

Burrell suggested that the individuals attend restorative justice to resolve the conflict, and to use it as a means of learning to live peacefully.

"Can you imagine going to prison over clothes line?" Burrell asked. The matter was adjourned until January 16, 2025 for mention.