Court orders aunt to compensate niece

The relationship between a niece and aunt has been left in tatters after one wielded a strong rum bottle at the other causing the need for stitches to the chest.  

 Rillan Hill resident Sandrene Browne’s position before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court (KMC) on, May 10, was not outwardly remorseful, and this was noted by Prosecutor Corporal Corlene Samuel.  

 “Right over her heart,” the prosecutor observed about one of the wounds Noreen Dottin of Fitz Hughes sustained, adding “It could have been worse”. That wound required three stitches to Dottin’s chest.  

 “Your honour, in all of it I am still not getting any remorse from her in a way, but she is saying ‘Oh I did this for her, I did that for her’ but that doesn’t give her the right to stab her,” the Prosecutor submitted.  

 The unlawful and malicious wounding charge stems from an incident which occurred on November 14, 2020. Dottin is accustomed to selling ‘Tri Tri’ in the area of the PH Veira supermarket. On the morning of November 14, she gave her aunt her phone to hold, but later when she got home, she realised that the phone was not working properly.  

 As a result she called the aunt and asked her if she damaged her phone, which according to Dottin, was done casually. However, the aunt apparently did not reply.  

 A few days later, on November 18, at 5:30pm, the niece was at Little Tokyo when she saw her aunt walking with a friend. The niece called out to her aunt’s friend, saying, “Your friend mash up me phone”, which triggered an argument.  

 Browne became upset and took a Sunset strong rum bottle cutting the niece above her eye and on the left side of her chest. However, it is said that the wound above the eye was superficial, in the sense that it healed by scabbing over.  

 The niece explained that she did not want to go to court with the matter, “But she never come and say sorry nor nuttin so what she did…she mean it.” 

 This must mean that she “wilfully” stabbed her, the niece said.  

She further revealed that her aunt never called and said sorry, and saw her in town but never said sorry.  

 “…Me ain stab she your honour,” the aunt said in response to the prosecution’s submission.  

“…Or break a bottle on her,” the Prosecutor countered.  

The defendant said that she should have told her to buy her back a phone.  

“..You woulda get vex anyway,” Samuel said.  

“You’re not even saying oh sorry for what I did, up to this point,” the prosecutor also noted. She added that Browne’s actions were excessive.  

 “Yes I mean there’s no doubt at all about that, and based on that I’m going to order Miss Browne to compensate Miss Dottin,” Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett agreed.
 
 The magistrate ordered compensation of $1500 to be paid through the court office by September 15, or Browne will have to spend six months in prison.  

 Additionally, the aunt was bonded to keep the peace for one year. If she breaks the bond she will be required to pay $1500 forthwith or spend nine months in prison.