Man accused of assaulting daughter

Garnett Dockery was overcome with emotion as he recounted the events between him and his 23-year-old daughter that led to his court appearance after she accused him of physical abuse.

Dockery appeared before Presiding Judge Natisha Fairclough-Hylton in the St James District Court last Wednesday, pleading guilty and pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The incident is said to have occurred on September 26 at around 6.50pm while Dockery and the complainant were at home in King Gate, St James.

According to court documents, the complainant went to the kitchen to prepare food, returned to her room and locked the door.

While she was in the room, the accused knocked on the door, entered and dumped food on the bed. He then hit her in the face and pulled her by the hair.

She asked: “What did I do? Why are you doing this to me?”

She then ran into the living room and he chased her and hit her in the head, causing her to fall, and then stomped on her head and kicked her in the stomach.

The court also heard Dockery went to the kitchen and returned with a machete.

Fearing for her life, the complainant ran out of the house and Dockery locked the door and left her on the veranda.

She eventually moved out of the house to live with another relative.

Dockery, who claimed to be a kidney patient who had suffered a stroke, made numerous complaints against his daughter, including telling the judge that all she did was eat, smoke and drink.

“I actually knocked the plate out of her hands and she grabbed me and hit me… She tore my shirt and kicked me, so I pushed her onto the bed and started hitting her because I felt like I was dealing with a monster. I had to do it; I had no choice. She kicked and kicked, so I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her and pushed her into the hall and then onto the veranda. At that point she started screaming, “Murder, murder, murder, dude!”, so I locked the door,” the defendant told the court.

He said the complainant kicked the door so hard that it came off its hinges and the door had still not been repaired.

The accused father later filed a report of the incident with the Anchovi police; however, they were unable to locate the applicant.

Dockery’s bail was extended until November 6, when a counter-case is expected to be presented in court.

A man was given a suspended sentence for assaulting a municipal official

A man accused of assaulting a council worker was given a two-year suspended sentence when he appeared at St James Parish Court last Wednesday.

Tafari Reed pleaded guilty to common law assault and common assault before presiding Judge Natisha Fairclough-Hilton.

According to court documents, on September 16, at approximately 12:42 p.m., the complainant was performing metered parking duties on Lower Union Street in Montego Bay when he noticed the accused’s cart parked in a restricted area. Despite the motorist’s attempt to park, Reed refused to leave the restricted area.

As the officer was about to seize the accused’s cart, the accused pushed him and brandished a ratchet knife before approaching the officer. The officer had to use pepper spray to scare off the defendant.

Reed fled, returned with a knife and made a second attempt to attack the officer. However, the officer was able to pick up an object from the cart and throw it at the accused, hitting him in the chest without causing any injury.

The matter was reported to the police and under caution Reed said: “Officer, I’m telling you the truth, I’m going to court and I’ll sort this out.”

Passing sentence, the judge said: “Mr Reid, you will work with probation officers for the next two years. They will teach you how to manage your anger and how you can make a positive contribution to society. I also warn you that if you come back before me, you won’t like it.”