Scotland returned to hospital after appearing on harassment charge

An accused was not happy to learn that he would be returning to the Psychiatric Hospital for another three weeks.

“I now come from spending five months at the Psychiatric Hospital. That is not an easy task. The conditions at the hospital is not easy,” Rafeal Joslin Scotland, of Rock Dundo, St James told Magistrate Graveney Bannister this afternoon.

The 38-year-old was before the court charged with harassing Shamona Rollock along Collymore Rock, St Michael without lawful authority or excuse on November 10, 2019.

Scotland pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, who questioned Sergeant Edwin Pinder on the timing of the charge, was informed that the accused had been at the Black Rock, St Michael hospital for the past few months. He was only released into police custody yesterday, the prosecutor revealed before objecting to bail.

Sergeant Pinder pointed to the seriousness of the charge and the aggravating circumstances.

“This is something that he does incessantly . . . the situation is volatile.”

However, Scotland told the magistrate he would, “stay off” Collymore Rock. He went on to explain that the situation was as a result of him being unable to have access to his “almost” 17-year-old daughter.

The complainant, who was also at court, told the magistrate that the harassment had been ongoing even though the relationship had ended over ten years ago.

Magistrate Bannister informed the accused that he needed a report from doctors at the Psychiatric Hospital and as such he would be remanded there.

But Scotland again informed the magistrate that being at the facility was “hard . . . . Have you ever spent time there? It is not an easy task.”

The harassment case is set to be heard in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court on September 14. The doctor’s report is expected on
May 13.