Appearing with a swollen eye, Stacia Barry, the victim of an assault allegedly committed by her partner, yesterday appealed to a city magistrate for the dismissal of the charge against the man.
However, despite Barry’s plea to have the matter dismissed, Magis-trate Geeta Chandan-Edmond placed Gerald Warde, a miner, on $60,000 bail and ordered him to return to court next Friday for trial.
Prosecutor Jomo Nicholls told the court that Warde regularly abuses Barry.
The current charge of assault causing bodily harm was instituted against the father of two after he allegedly cuffed Barry about the body on June 18, forcing her to fall to the floor at their Middle Road, La Penitence home. Warde then allegedly dealt her several kicks about the body, during which she received serious injury to her left eye.
After Barry indicated she longer wished to go through with the case, the magistrate called her to the bench to examine her face and subsequently decided against dismissing the charge.
The case was first called before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, who also observed Barry’s swollen eye and inquired whether the injury had anything to do with the matter before her.
Visibly hesitant for a moment, Barry responded “not really.”
The magistrate then asked the woman if she is aware that she could seek a protection order, to which she responded in the negative.
Barry was further asked if she is interested in learning more about it but she declined.
The case was then transferred to Court 10 before Magistrate Chandan-Edmonds.
As part of the conditions of his bail, Warde was bonded to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
