WITH SCREAMS OF “I don’t deserve to go to jail. Take care of meh pickney dem”, Brittany Hiki Edwards was remanded to HMP Dodds for 28 days.
The 23-year-old unemployed woman of Bay Street, St Michael, was not required to plead to the indictable offence of occasioning serious bodily harm to Lorrena Browne with intent to maim or disfigure her on Thursday.
Prosecutor Sergeant Vernon Waithe said the allegation against Edwards was that she and Brown were sex workers and friends who fell out over money.
One day while Browne was sitting along Beckwith Street, with the accused not too far away at the junction with Bay Street, a man drove up and signalled to the accused, but soon drove off leaving her behind.
After that, the prosecutor said, the women, both Jamaican nationals, got into a verbal altercation, and the complainant punched the accused in the face. The altercation escalated, leading to a fight in which a knife was used.
Brown is currently hospitalised with blood in her lungs, but is in stable condition.
Waithe strongly objected to bail for Edwards, stating that the accused was a non-national with no ties to the island, and was scheduled to leave next week.
“The offence is a serious one and I fear if the accused is granted bail, she may not return to court to answer any charges,” he said.
Acting Magistrate Sandra Rawlins, presiding in the Bridgetown Traffic Court, agreed and remanded the accused to jail.
Edwards is expected to appear in Criminal Court No. 1 on September 22. (RA)
