Elders fight over partner draw money

An elderly woman who was charged with wounding escaped spending the weekend in custody after the claimant begged the judge for leniency.

The court heard that Claudette Stewart used a chair to hit the complainant, causing a cut to the elderly man’s face.

She pleaded guilty with explanation, telling the judge that she and the complainant had joined a partner.

She said that she had to pay three hands of $4,000 each, one for herself, one for her daughter, and one for the complainant.

“Me ask him if him nah pay back the partner money, and an argument developed, and him come up inna mi face and mi did siddung pon a chair and me use it and hit him,” she said.

Judge Chester Crooks ordered Stewart to pay the man $4,500 to cover the cost of his doctor’s visit. However, Stewart indicated that she did not have the money and was given time for someone to take it to her. But when the parties returned to court, the complainant said he did not want the money. “She can keep it. She seems to need it more than me. Mi just want har fi collect har drum from me yard,” he said. When pressed by Crooks as to why he had changed his mind, he told the court that another elderly women, who had accompanied the accused to court, threatened him while he was in the hall. At that point, Stewart’s friend was brought to the courtroom and Crooks threatened to have Stewart taken into custody because of her interference. Stewart started to cry, but the complainant begged for her. “Mi no want her record mess up, and mi nuh want har money. Mi wi just left it inna di hands of the Almighty,” he said.