A 42-year-old man was put on a bond to keep the peace for two years and he was also fined a total of $25,000 after he used abusive as well as threatening language to his wife and his sister.
When Otis Garraway appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson, he pleaded guilty to making use of abusive language and threatening language to Rohell Amus earlier this week at Lot 170 Lodge Housing Scheme whereby a breach of the peace might be occasioned. Garraway also pleaded guilty to making use of threatening language to Hazel Clarke at the same time and place.
Garraway who lives at the same Lodge Housing Scheme address told the court after he had pleaded guilty, “We just had a little argument and it finish like that.”
When asked if he made any threatening remarks to Amus, the mother of his children and the woman he resides with, he told the magistrate, “I raise a piece of wood but me ain’t mean nothing.”
However Police Prosecutor, Inspector Stephen Telford told the court that on the day in question, Amus was asleep when she was awakened by the defendant, who was under the influence of alcohol, and he told her to heat up his food.
Amus then told the defendant to do it himself, Telford stated, and this response annoyed Garraway who began using abusive language and in the process pulled a knife from his waist saying that he would kill her.
According to Telford, Garraway and Amus share a 10-year relationship and when Garraway consumes alcohol he becomes abusive and makes use of threatening language.
However when Amus was given a chance to say something she asked the magistrate to give Garraway a chance “cause he don’t normally behave like that, only when he drink. Is not every time.”
Meanwhile in the matter of using threatening language to Clarke, who is Garraway’s sister, the defendant told the court that “I just tell she one bad word. I can’t remember…”
However Clarke said that after she told him she would call the police because of his behaviour, Garraway told her that when he comes out of jail he would chop her up. Clarke too begged the magistrate to give Garraway another chance.
“Give him a stern warning, give him a chance please.” She told the magistrate that she had to leave the country in a few days to take care of her sick mother and Garraway was the breadwinner in his home.
After listening to the submissions, the magistrate asked Garraway if he had anything to say since the Virtual Complainants wanted to give him another chance. Garraway with a blank expression, as the people in the courtroom in a low tone urged him to say sorry, issued an apology saying he would not do it again. However the magistrate told him he had to make the apology directly to his sister and wife and he complied.
After the apology the magistrate placed Garraway on a bond to keep the peace for two years. He was also ordered to be under the supervision of a probation officer for one year. In addition he was fined $5,000 for using threatening language to his sister, Clarke.
And for the charges against his wife, Amus, Garraway was fined $10,000 or four months imprisonment each for abusive language and threatening language as well as one year probation under supervision.
Before leaving the court the magistrate reprimanded Garraway about his drinking and told him to curb the habit.