Parent who assaulted teacher escapes jail time

A parent who assaulted a teacher in the presence of her students will now have to dig deep into his pockets after the court ordered him to pay compensation and placed him on a bond.

Nimal Williams, 43, of Glen escaped jail time when he appeared at the Serious Offences Court on March 27, charged for assault and damage to property.

The single parent of three pleaded guilty that on March 24, at Fair Hall without lawful excuse, he damaged one black Samsung A20s valued at $700.00, the property of Finicia Providence of Fair Hall . He also pleaded guilty that on the same day he assaulted Finicia Providence causing her actual bodily harm.

According to the facts presented by Prosecutor Corlene Samuel, the virtual complainant is a teacher at the School. On the day of the assault, she returned to her classroom at around 12:30 p.m and observed the defendant in the classroom lifting students. She became concerned and questioned the defendant.

He told her his name, and he also said that he has three children attending the school. However, none of his children is in Providence’s class.

She informed him that he should not be in the classroom and he began arguing with the teacher and told her “you can’t teach.”

He pointed his hands in her face and and at that point she attempted to make a call using her cellphone when the defendant struck her on her hand causing the phone to fall and resulting in it being damaged. She also received an injury to the hand where she was struck.

The principal went to the class and the defendant ran from the school compound.

He later returned to the school and he was arrested under suspicion.

Williams apologized in court and explained his version of what transpired.

He said that the students who were in the classroom know him and they asked him to lift them up. He said after the teacher came and spoke to him he asked her “way yuh haffu dey ah get on so fah?” He then said his hand “catch her” and he did not run from the school compound but walked out.

Williams who was recently convicted on another charge of a similar nature told the court that he has made many mistakes, but this will be his last one.

Prosecutor, Station Sergeant Renrick Cato during his submissions, said what was striking to him was the fact that the teacher took out her phone to make a call and and the defendant struck her causing the phone to fall. Cato said “These offences cannot be accepted”.

He said as simple as it may seem the offence can attract a maximum prison sentence of five years.

He also said that the sentence must reflect the serious nature of the offence, and that the defendant must know that what he did was “foolish and wrong”.

Chief Magistrate, Rechanne Browne, in handing down a non-custodial sentence told the defendant that little things he may take for granted can be considered bigger things, like lifting up people’s children, as it can be considered inappropriate contact since everyone may not be comfortable with people lifting up their children.

She also told the defendant that when students are at school they are in the care of teachers, and the teacher was trying to protect her students since she was not familiar with the defendant.

Williams was ordered to pay compensation of $700.00 by April, 11 for the damaged phone, in default of which he will spend two weeks in prison.

He was bonded for nine months in the sum of $2,000.00 for assaulting the teacher; if this is breached Williams will spend nine months in prison.

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