The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO siblings who attacked their neighbour during an altercation last week were ordered to keep the peace and compensate the woman.

Police arrested an 18-year-old girl and her 16-year-old brother after they assaulted their neighbour on April 18.

They owned up to the offence when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans.

The court heard the complainant told police she was at her residence when she was attacked and beaten about the body by the defendants. After she filed her complaint, the siblings were arrested. When they were questioned by officers at the Nassau Street Police Station. The girl admitted kicking the complainant while her teen brother confessed to slapping the woman twice.

During the hearing, they were represented by attorney Roberto Reckley who told the magistrate his clients were honest from the onset of the investigation because they did not want to waste the court’s time. He also said the incident arose out of a “neighbourhood issue that went too far” and insisted the accused were remorseful for their actions.

Thurston also told the magistrate the incident took place after the complainant had told her sister that she had seen the defendant leaving her boyfriend’s car in a red dress. She claimed when she confronted the woman, the lady cursed her out and threw a rock at her brother.

The accused boy also said he only slapped the complainant because she started cursing and “freaking out”.

In response, Magistrate Vogt-Evans told the siblings they had no right to go and seek revenge and instead, should have informed their parents and filed a report with police. As a result, she bound them over to keep the peace for three months and ordered them to compensate the victim $250 for assaulting her. She said if they failed to comply with the conditions of their release, they would be convicted and remanded into custody for seven days.