A woman was yesterday brought to a city court to answer an assault charge that she cuffed her common law partner after an argument over the attendance of their child at school got heated.
The unrepresented Melissa Alridge, who denied the allegations, told the court she was only retaliating after being assaulted by the complainant, Ryan Griffith.
Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry subsequently released the woman on her own recognisance and bonded her to keep the peace.
At the hearing yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Prosecutor Bharat Mangru related that on the day in question, Griffith tried contacting Alridge to inquire why the child had not been attending classes, but to no avail.
He later spotted her at the National Park, where the altercation ensued, resulting in Griffith receiving injuries, Mangru added. The court heard that Alridge cuffed Griffith about the head and face.
After a report was made, an investigation into the incident was launched and Alridge was subsequently arrested and charged.
Following no objection to the bail by Prosecutor Mangru, Alridge was released on self-bail and bonded to keep the peace.
The case was transferred to Court Six for report and fixtures on June 16.
Meanwhile, Gavin Bristol, a contractor, was also charged yesterday with assaulting and using threatening language to the mother of his children. He was also admitted to self-bail and bonded to keep the peace.
Bristol denied the charges which stated that on May 24, at Berbice, he unlawfully assaulted Rachel Nobel and used threatening language to her, resulting in a breach of the peace.
The unrepresented Bristol gave his address as 185 Lovely Lass Village, West Coast Berbice.
When asked by the court if there is an alternative place of abode to which he can remove, Bristol responded in the affirmative and supplied a Golden Grove, West Coast Berbice address.
No details of what transpired on the day in question were related to the court.
The Chief Magistrate, explained to Nobel that she can apply for a protection order under the Domestic Violence Act if she so desires.
The case was transferred to the Fort Wellington Magistrates’ Court for June 16.
