‘I HAVE A HEART’ – Magistrate gives woman 4 months

While sentencing a tearful woman to four months imprisonment, Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards yesterday paused to declare that – contrary to popular opinion – she does not find joy in making tough calls such as sending persons to Her Majesty’s Prison.

But she noted that the court cannot turn a blind eye to the criminal offences that are being perpetuated throughout the British Virgin Islands.

“It’s not that I don’t have a heart. There is actually a heart within me, contrary to popular opinion,” the usually no-nonsense senior magistrate declared.

She, at the time, was sentencing Nashae Foy who was convicted previously of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Foy was sentenced to four months in prison for beating another woman with a wooden bat.

The court heard that she tailed the victim in a car before hitting her with the object on the head, ribs, and other areas of the body.

Foy, before being sentenced, expressed remorse for committing the offence.

The court previously heard that, on May 11 last year, the complainant Shareema Stevens was driving with a friend in the Greenland area.

At some point, the complainant noticed that she and her friend were being followed by another vehicle.

As a result, she pulled over. The driver of the other vehicle also pulled over.

The complainant noticed that the pursuing vehicle looked familiar, and so she exited her vehicle.

At that point, Foy was identified as the person following the complainant.

Foy reportedly exited her vehicle with what appeared to be a bat, and then approached the complainant.

The court heard that the complainant grabbed the wooden object and tried to reason with Foy.

However, Foy reportedly pulled the bat away and struck the complainant on the head, right arm, beneath her left eye, and in the area of her left ribs.

The complainant had to seek medical attention.

A report was made to the police, who later met Foy at the East End Police Station.

After being cautioned, Foy responded: “It was the virtual complainant who hit me in the face and pulled my hair.”

In court yesterday, Senior Magistrate Richards noted that “there was some level of premeditation” on Foy’s part because she followed the complainant.