Robbery and Assault Accused Warned by Magistrate: Miss Court Again, Face Remand

Robbery, assault and serious bodily harm accused Jafari Ricardo Maxwell received a stern warning from a magistrate – miss court again and be remanded to prison.

“If court is not a priority for you, make it one from today because in failing to attend court, we will put you where we can find you,” Magistrate Alison Burke told the 25-year-old as he appeared before her in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court.

Noting his failure to keep a date to deal with five matters before that court last November, the magistrate said that, according to his records, it was the second time Maxwell failed to show up on a scheduled date.

In his defence, the Lower Gills Road, St Michael resident told the court that he had mixed the dates up with those for another court where he has another matter.

“I went to court down here earlier this month, and it was only when I called yesterday that I realised that I missed the November date, so that’s why I came today. I don’t have a reason to lie,” he said.

However, the magistrate insisted that was no excuse.

“Put it in your phone. You go on Instagram and Facebook every day, so put in your phone and check back as to when you are supposed to be at court because you cannot afford to miss court dates. If you miss another court date, you are going to prison. You should be going up the road today. Do not miss another court date,” she warned.

Magistrate Burke adjourned the matters until July 31.

Maxwell is charged with five offences, which all allegedly occurred on May 5, 2021. These include: robbing Janelle Browne of one cell phone valued $3 000; robbing Stephanie Catoggio of a cell phone valued at $2 000, one tablet valued at $500 and two cases valued at $200; doing serious bodily harm to Catoggio and Luang Zhang with intent to maim, disfigure or disable them or to do some serious bodily harm to them; and unlawfully assaulting Vanessa Zhang occasioning her actual bodily harm.