Frustrated father ‘plans’ mother in face with a cutlass

A father of three, apparently frustrated at the mother of his children for not paying maintenance, has landed in trouble after ‘planning’ her in her face with a wrapped cutlass.

When he appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court(KMC) on Monday, March 1, Enrico Johnny of Ottley Hall admitted to losing his temper and causing the assault bodily harm of Debbon Durant of Arnos Vale.

The incident occurred at about 9:30 am on February 2, when Durant was in the area of Yankees Bar in Kingstown. The defendant, along with one of their children, went to see her there. An argument started between the parents over the amount of money that Durant gave to the child.

During this, Johnny had a short brown handled cutlass wrapped in a plastic bag and struck Durant to the left side of her face.

After reporting the matter to the police, Durant was given medical forms to take to the doctor. Her injuries were noted as mild swelling to the left temporal region of the head and tenderness.

Johnny and Durant have known each other for 15 years.

The defendant told Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett that his children had lived with him since 2017, after he came out of prison. He admitted to having previous convictions, but they are not of a similar nature to the one he came before the court for on March 1.

Johnny has taken Durant to the Family Court for a maintenance order. There has been no final proclamation from the court, but the two had worked out an arrangement.

The defendant explained that the arrangement with Durant was that she pay $300 as a lump sum and $100 every month, but claimed she failed to pay on multiple occasions.

Johnny said that he knows his former common law wife loves the children as well but is probably confused right now, and she went through a lot in the past. Durant did not agree that she hasn’t been helping financially, and posited that she has and still is doing her part. She said that she did not know Johnny was coming to see her that morning as they do not communicate, and he is disrespectful.

The mother said that she had offered to take two children, but the father did not want them separated.

“…it’s not my fault I still trying to be in their life,” she said.

On the discussions as to why he had a cutlass in his possession, the 31-year-old said that he came into town to have the cutlass sharpened, and had got a job to trim a piece of land.

On the matter of hitting the mother of his children in the face, he said, “I know it’s completely wrong your honour and I have no right for that and I apologise to her…”

However, Durant posited “He say he apologize, he is not remorseful in the situation because he still going in the neighbourhood, he still going and brag.” He also seemingly made a violent statement about her.

The defendant noted that he did not brag, and said that he was frustrated when he made the statement.

Johnny said he was receiving counselling, and made a request for leniency.

The matter was stood down, during which time the two parents spoke. In the end, the mother concluded that they have three children together and explained what she wanted was for, “him to restrain from me and I restrain from him and we just deal with children them in a mature, respectable manner.”

All the circumstances being considered, the 31-year-old was bonded for one year in the sum of $2500. If he does not keep the peace he will pay this sum immediately or go to prison for six months.