Christopher Matis and Venette Jerome were yesterday both ordered to pay court costs after refusing to proceed with assault and property damage charges that they brought against each other.
When they appeared before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Matis was charged with unlawfully assaulting Jerome on January 28, at Toucan Drive, South Ruimveldt. Jerome, meanwhile, was charged with damaging a French passport, valued at US$100 and property of the French Government, also on January at Toucan Drive.
They both pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them and their lawyer told the court that they did not want to proceed with the matter.
As a result, police prosecutor Denise Booker asked the court to put them on a bond and order them to pay court costs.
Their lawyer, however, objected to the prosecutor’s request, saying that Jerome never wanted the matter to reach court. She told the court that Jerome had just wanted the police to warn Matis.
She further stated that if the payment of costs should be ordered, it should be light.
Magistrate Lovell subsequently put Matis and Jerome on a bond to keep the peace, ordered that they pay costs of $5,000 and dismissed the charges.
