Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes has suggested that parents who physically settle disputes in full view of children are creating “war zones” in households.
“If we can’t get the family right, we can’t get anything right,” he cautioned in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court where he presided over the case in which Jonathan Anston Harper, of Jackson Terrace Stage 1, St Michael pleaded guilty to assaulting Tennisha Worrell – the mother of his two children – causing her bodily harm on April 2.
The 29-year-old man also admitted to damaging two pairs of shoes belonging to the woman without lawful excuse on the same day. They were valued at $135.
Sergeant Randolph Boyce told the court that the two were in a relationship that ended in March and had an agreement that Worrell would remain at the residence until July this year until her accommodations were ready.
But according to the facts, Harper looked on her phone and saw certain information. Following this, the woman decided that she would leave and this caused Harper to become irate and he began to beat her about the body. She was able to escape but on her return found the shoes damaged.
Harper told the court that while he did hit Worrell it was in “self defence” and he was “provoked”. He was also adamant that he did not look at anything on her phone and beat her.
The young man said after the relationship came to an end they had designated certain spaces in the household for each of them. He said he was in the room that was to be “his space” when Worrell came in to press and he told her to leave. He went into another room where the children were, in a bid to turn off the electricity but she followed. He then asked her for the house keys, she said ‘no’.
“I did snatch at the keys,” he said, adding that they were attached to a purse.
“She pulled me into her and started kicking at me. I pulled her off the bed in self defence and I pinned her on the wall with my weight. She swung at me, I lost balance and I throw her unto the bed . . . she started kicking again. I did hit her and I left the room,” he explained adding that “I did lose my composure.”
He explained that Worrell could have gotten the injuries to her neck, back, forearm and shoulder while he defended himself. “I did hit back when she was attacking me . . . kicking . . . swinging her hands at me.” Harper also disclosed that the children witnessed some of what had happened.
Chief Magistrate Weekes questioned why when women raised their hands on men they did not go to the police and file a report for assault adding that he did not condone men putting their hands on women nor women putting their hands on men.
“Wunna creating war zones in the houses. When wunna create these war zones wunna unleashing terrorists on the society.
“If wunna can’t get along, wunna can’t beat each other in front of the children because that is a blueprint for an uncivilized society and I don’t think wunna understand that,” said Weekes.
“A lot of wunna will come in here and see men charged for firearms. It ain’t start when they are charged for firearm you know, it started in the family . . .when wunna ain’t send the children to church. It starts when wunna call them little man and don’t understand that when they are doing things they are subject to discipline. That is where it starts.
“Wunna got to do something so that this society doesn’t go further downhill. . . We have tolerance in this place now for all the wrong things.
“The family is a significant institution, if we can’t get the family right we can’t get anything right. If you all do this for long, it comes right back.
“Raise a good family, follow the principles and this society will be a good place,” the judicial officer explained.
He told Harper that both he and Worrell needed counseling as this was “foolish behaviour”. Harper is now on $2 500 bail and is to stay away from the complainant until they return to court on May 20. He has agreed to reside elsewhere for the time being.
The Chief Magistrate also raised concern that the police were “too much involved” in domestic matters.
“Not their fault but because wunna cannot run wunna households in an orderly manner, wunna bringing out the police to do a lot of domestic work.”
