By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A HAITIAN woman was granted a conditional discharge Friday after admitting to harming a pregnant woman from her neighbourhood during an argument earlier this month.
Sylvanie Simeon, 29, appeared before Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain after being accused of unlawfully assaulting Bahana Jacques on April 17.
The court was told that sometime around 6 pm that day, the complainant reported to police that she was at home on Cowpen Road playing music when she was approached by the accused about loud music.
The prosecution said the two women got into an argument over the matter and added that during the altercation, the accused grabbed the complainant by the collar and pulled her to the ground, causing her to experience lower abdominal pain.
The court was told the complainant was nine months pregnant at the time of the incident.
After the complainant reported the matter to police, the prosecution said Simeon was arrested and taken to a local police station, where she admitted to the offence.
During Friday’s hearing, the accused – using the aid of an interpreter – pleaded guilty to the charge.
In mitigation, Simeon’s attorney told the court his client, a mother of one, was extremely remorseful for her actions.
The attorney also noted that Simeon, who lived in the Bahamas for four years on a work permit, did not have any previous convictions.
As a result, he asked the court for leniency and noted that a conviction would result in her arrest and ultimate deportation.
After accepting Simeon’s guilty plea, Magistrate Swain told the accused that while she did the right thing by asking her neighbour to turn the music down, she allowed things to go too far by taking matters into her own hands.
Magistrate Swain also told her that moving forward, she should call the police whenever she is being disturbed by loud music.
As a result, Simeon was given a conditional discharge granted she does not repeat the same offence or cause any other disturbances.
She was also told that failure to do so would result in three months imprisonment.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.