Man in breadfruit dispute fined $15,000


A dispute over a roasted breadfruit resulted in a man being slapped with a $15,000 fine in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday.


Charged with assault occasioning bodily harm is Kingston resident Cedric Graham.


Allegations are that Graham went to the home of the complainant and assaulted her after she placed a breadfruit he had brought for a guest at the house outside, and an altercation developed.


Graham told the court: "I brought the roast breadfruit for my daughter friend from overseas to take abroad. I go back to the house and see the breadfruit outside, me ask bout it and she (the complainant) create a scene and start tell me one bag a tings and we start fight."


He said he was forced to hit the complainant because he saw her mother coming after him with a pipe.


"She hold on pan me shirt and all pop the button off it and then me see har mother a come with a pipe, so mi lick har fi escape," he stated.


The complainant however said it was the accused who started the altercation.


"The guest saw the breadfruit, but didn't want it to eat because he didn't know him. I asked my daughter if she wanted it. She said no, so I put it outside. Him come and start cuss and all throw stones pan me and it ketch me hand. We start to fight and me mother come after him with a broomstick not a pipe."


The complainant said Graham should never have been at the premises in the first place because she had taken a restraining order against him over a year ago after they separated.


"The bed weh she sleep pan a me buy it, the stove weh she cook pan ah me buy it!" Graham interjected. He was silenced by Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey, who fined him $15,000 or six months in prison.



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