Five on assault, threat charges remanded to ‘cool off’

Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton remanded five persons who appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ court charged with assault and making use of threatening language to each other.

“You all need some cooling off. You are adults before me. This nonsense must stop, it will stop. You are all remanded until tomorrow… all five of you,” the magistrate told the group, which comprised Jennifer St Romain, her husband Raymond St Romain, their niece Farla Khan, Kim DeSantos and Randolph DeSantos.

The court heard that on December 22, at Sheriff Street, Jennifer St. Romain used threatening behaviour and abusive language toward the DeSantos’s, thereby causing a breach of the peace. Her husband, Raymond, was also charged with using threatening language to the DeSantos couple. Khan was also charged with using abusive language to the DeSantos couple. In addition, Randolph and Kim DeSantos were jointly charged with unlawfully assaulting Khan. The five, who reside in the same compound at Lot 44 Sheriff Street, Campbellville, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. The prosecutor told the court that the accused, who are not on speaking terms due to previous conflicts, had a heated misunderstanding. The matter was later reported and the accused were charged. Attorney Mortimer Codette, who represented the St Romains and Khan, told the court that there has been an ongoing feud among the parties and his clients. He then asked the court to release his clients on their own recognisance on the grounds that Jennifer is a well-known accountant and that he was confident that they all would return to court to answer to the charges. Further, Codette asked the court to put the parties on a bond to keep the peace pending the determination of the matter.

After listening to the application, Magistrate Octave-Hamilton told the five accused that their behaviour was unbecoming of adults. She then remanded them until today, saying that prison would give them some time to “cool off,” After the ruling was handed down, the defendants were left in a state of shock and they were promptly escorted from the court room. The matter will be called again today.