Man pleads not guilty to damaging car

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:A St James man who allegedly damaged the car of a man who was reportedly involved in a dispute with his sister, was given a new court date when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court last week.

Jevaugn Webley, of a Montego Bay address pleaded not guilty to malicious destruction of property when he appeared before Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small in court last Wednesday, charged with damaging a motor car belonging to Eddue Myles.

It is alleged that on March 9, an aggrieved Webley, reacting to the news that his sister had been involved in an altercation with Myles, damaged Myles' Toyota Corolla motor car.

The clerk of the court, who is prosecuting the case against Webley, told the court that the damage to the motor car was estimated at $25,000.

After hearing Webley's not-guilty plea, Wong-Small sought to determine why he had decided to plead not guilty despite admitting that he was responsible for the damage to the complainant's vehicle.

"Are you saying you did not damage the gentleman's car?" Wong-Small asked Webley, moments after he had entered his not-guilty plea,

"Yes, I did, but the reason I did it is because he (Myles) attacked my little sister," Webley said in seeking to justify his action.

However, in a bid to get Webley to understand how the law worked, Wong-Small sought to explain the difference between the defence of another person and retaliation.

"The law makes a distinction between defence of a person and retaliation," Wong-Small explained to Webley. "If what you are talking about is retaliation and not defence of your little sister, you cannot plead not guilty."

However, despite the explanation given to him by RM Wong-Small, Webley refused to change his plea, sticking to his not-guilty plea.

The case was subsequently rescheduled for mention on April 18. At that time, the complainant, who was absent from last week's court hearing, is expected to appear.