St. Joseph Man Ordered to Pay $8,000 in Compensation for Assault with Glass Bottles
November 3, 2023
A St Joseph man has been ordered to pay $8,000 in compensation after assaulting another man with glass bottles during an argument. If he fails to pay within 16 months, he could face 29 months in prison. The judge called the defendant's actions "unjustified" and highlighted the prevalence of lawlessness in society. The attacker pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful and malicious wounding.
A St Joseph man who struck another several times about the head with glass bottles during an argument has been ordered to pay $8 000 in compensation.
Passing sentence on 42-year-old Jason Orlando Parris, of Bissex Housing Area, Parks Road, in Supreme Court 4A on Wednesday, Madam Justice Wanda Blair informed him that he had 16 months to make the payment or he would face 29 months in prison.
Earlier this year, Parris denied the charge of wounding Marcus Yearwood with intent on June 10, 2021, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful and malicious wounding.
In his statement, Yearwood said he had been sitting outside a shop drinking with his friends when Parris arrived and started making statements to him, before putting his hand in his face. A fight began between the two and Parris struck Yearwood in the head with a beer bottle several times before it broke. The two men fell onto empty drink cases and Parris continued hitting Yearwood with more bottles.
Justice Blair called Parris’ actions “unjustified” and said they “speak to lawlessness that is becoming too commonplace in this society”.
Outlining the aggravating factors of the crime, she identified the nature of the attack, the number of injuries Yearwood had, the inability of the complainant to work for a year and that the act was committed in the presence of the public. No mitigating factors were found.
As to the offender, the aggravating factors were that he was assessed as having a moderate to high risk of reoffending and also had four previous convictions. His early guilty plea was a mitigating factor.
A four-year starting point given by Justice Blair was reduced by 16 months due to the early plea and then by an additional three months because of the delay in the matter getting to the court, leaving the convicted man with 29 months in prison. However, that was suspended for two years, with the judge warning Parris that he would have to serve the time if he found himself before the law courts during that period.
Senior State Counsel Joyann Catwell prosecuted the case while Parris was represented by attorney-at-law Martie Garnes.
