(Jamaica Observer) Members of the Christian community brought high drama to the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court last week following the appearance of a 21-year-old bishop who accused another bishop’s wife of assaulting him because he had shunned her sexual advances.
The bishop, who ministers at a Baptist church in Jones Town, St Andrew was bitten on his face and hit in his head with a stone by the 36-year-old complainant, Keisha Genius.
But Genius, who is charged with unlawful wounding, denied hitting the complainant.
According to the woman, the dispute started after she found her two-year-old with a condom in the house where the complainant was staying and an argument ensued.
“He started calling me big ole gal and some other language, and him rush me and I use me hand and wrap round him head and draw him on the ground,” she said.
But the pierced-nose bishop, who was clad in a red African pantssuit when he appeared in court on Tuesday, told the court that although they had an argument about the condom that she found, the incident occurred because the complainant was carrying “feelings” after he rejected her overtures.
The complainant then explained that the accused’s husband had invited him to live at their home.
However, he said, “I did know that they had matrimonial dispute from longer time, and when I went there she placed certain advances towards me in terms of sexually, and I go to church and I have certain beliefs so I ignore her.
“So because her son found that I have condoms and that I am sexually active with females, that bring the dispute between me and her,” he added.
He said that on the day of the incident he was inside the room when he felt a blow to the back of his head and he rushed at her.
At that time, he said, they got into an argument and she had a stone in her hand.
“So when I attack her to restrain the stone from her, she wrap my locks in her hand and have my face in the ground like I am her child.
“And while I was there her sister-in-law was there but no one would split the justice,” the young bishop said.
Sometime after, he said, he realised that he had a wound to his head and that it was bleeding.
The complainant further complained to Judge Maxine Ellis that since the incident he has been getting threats after Genius accused him of being gay and having an affair with her husband.
“She made several men attack me in Jones Town,” he said.
Genius at this point interjected saying, “Your Honour is me two-year-old him hug up and have him two foot around.”
But the judge told her that it was not strange for the complainant to hug her two-year-old because he was living in the house and must have had some form of relationship with the child.
“What is unusual about that, my goodness are we so homophobic without any kind reason and you ago spread it now that he is gay and you never spread it when he was there,” she remarked.
“If he has condoms and you know it too and he has told the court that certain advances were made and it has caused a rift, why would you now in those circumstance believe that he is with your two-year-old son in a compromising position, why would you jump to that conclusion if not to make life hard for him,” the judge then asked Genius.
The complainant then told the court that the accused had three children and that he treats them well and show them love especially the two-year-old.
“Anything I buy I give it to them. If I buy KFC I give it to them,” he said.
However, he said after the fight with Genius he was by the church playing with the children when she came by and shouted out that she did not want any “b… man” around her pickney.
“It was the same night after that I got attacked,” the complainant said.
Judge Ellis then told Genius that that was a dangerous label to attach to a man, given the homophobic behaviour of some Jamaicans and reprimanded her for her behaviour.
“I can’t stay in Jones Town, I caa even go to church,” the complainant said, while explaining that he has to be staying at a hotel.
Genius in her defence then told the court that the complainant was also sending people to threaten her, but the judge told them to keep the peace and that she will deal with it on July 19 at the time of the sentencing.
