A mother and daughter found themselves before the court on Friday charged with abusing and assaulting each other and they were bonded to keep the peace for one year and undergo counselling.
The matter was first heard in Court One before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, and Ramrattie McFarlane admitted that she hit her daughter Donika on the shoulder with a plastic bottle because she called her a witch. “She curses me all the time and it got overbearing so I hit her and told her she is my daughter and has to respect me,” the woman explained.
However, the younger McFarlane in support of her not guilty plea, later told the court: “I only pushed my mother away in self-defence and told her to stop because I am not a child anymore.”
Ramrattie, 49, said she would offer evidence against her daughter at the trial, as she claimed her body still bears marks of the assault, which, she said, consisted of more than a push.
In Court 10 to where the matter was subsequently transferred, Prosecutor Jomo Nicholls requested that the two be referred to a probation officer given the fact that they are related and share the same premises.
The magistrate there, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, then set the trial for July 1.
