Tearful defendant says she can’t pay compensation

Stressing the point that defendants need to be creative in their efforts to make compensation, Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque shared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish court on Thursday that she was a vendor before joining the judiciary.

"As old people say, 'Yuh affi tun yuh hand make fashion'. I used to sell biscuits before I was a judge and when me did have my biscuit business, you would never know. The way I talk to people, 'Oh would you like to patronise my business?' and it sell off," she related.

Her comments came as a defendant, Stacy Ann Abrahams, appeared without monies for compensation. She is charged with larceny as a servant and was to attend court with at least $50,000 for payment. However, she stood in the prisoner's dock empty-handed and apologetic, telling the senior jurist that she had no family or friends to support her.

"Your Honour, it's just me and my daughter. My babyfather meet in an accident. Them hit him off his bike," Abrahams said, as tears trickled down her cheeks.

But Cole-Montaque was unmoved. "Miss, everybody have somebody. You never hear them say to seek a friend before you need a friend," she argued.

But Abrahams was adamant that she had no assistance and was seeking employment to pay her debts before the court. She told the court that she had experience as a waitress.

"You have to do something else you get me? And if you come without any money on the next occasion, look at me good and proper, me ago lock you up," the judge warned.

Abrahams is expected to return to court on March 16.