By Shahein Fitzpatrick
A man, who admitted to two counts of battery for beating his girlfriend and her young daughter, was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison to await sent.
The 42-year-old mechanic, who appeared before Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel-Edwards in the All Saints Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, will learn his fate October 14.
According to the evidence presented, the St Lucian national picked up his girlfriend and his eight-year-old step-daughter in St John’s around 4:30 pm on October 3.
The convict then accused his partner of infidelity and he began beating her while driving to their home in Paynters. His step-daughter tried to assist her mother by hitting the man in his head with a glass bottle, and he then punched the child in the eye.
Upon arriving home, the minor ran to the neighbour’s house for help as her mother had requested.
The man was said to have grabbed a cutlass and attacked his partner, who attempted to shield herself from the blows with her hand.
The police arrived shortly after and found the convict hiding in the bathroom. He was arrested and was later charged with battery.
After he pleaded guilty, attorney Jan Peltier mitigated on his client’s behalf saying he did not intentionally hit the child and that he only reacted to the blows to his head from the minor who was sitting in the backseat while he was driving.
Peltier also suggested that no cutlass had been used in the incident.
“He is not known to the court; he is a hard worker and he is deeply remorseful,” the lawyer said of the convict, who was crying when he was called to the stand.
However, the mother took the stand and showed Magistrate Emanuel-Edwards the scars she sustained to her nose and right cheek during the attack.
She told also told the magistrate that she has no medical expenses and that her daughter has to get an eye examination.