Assault case against JLP Councillor David Brown delayed

The case against David Brown, the St James Municipal Corporation councillor who reportedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend during a confrontation in May, has been put off until October 3.

This was done to allow him time to settle his legal representation.

Brown, who is charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and malicious destruction of property, got the new court date and an extension of his bail when he appeared in the St James Parish Court on Monday.

During the brief court hearing before presiding judge Sasha-Marie Ashley, it was disclosed that Brown had approached attorney-at-law Henry McCurdy to represent him, and that additional time was needed for that arrangement to be finalised.

The court was also told that Brown and the complainant had attended restorative justice sessions following the case's previous mention date on July 12, but that there was no resolution or agreement between the parties.

Additionally, the complainant was absent from Monday's sitting.

“She is actually in a delicate state, and she is having some issues this morning, but I know that the parties attended mediation,” her attorney Martyn Thomas said.

The matter was subsequently set for mention on October 3 when the court is expected to receive an update on the resolution attempts by the parties.

It is alleged that on May 28, the complainant, with whom Brown was in a relationship, was sitting in her car when Brown knocked on the vehicle's window.

The two got into a dispute, during which Brown hit the complainant in her face, causing pain and swelling, and also damaging her car window.

Brown, who served as the councillor for the Montego Bay West division, was subsequently suspended from the Jamaica Labour Party following his arrest and charge.

The embattled councillor had previously run afoul of the law in 2018 in relation to an outstanding warrant from the St James Family Court as well as for allegedly hitting a 65-year-old man with his licensed firearm on August 3 that year.

Brown spent five days in police custody before eventually being released.

The assault case was discontinued in 2019 after the complainant indicated that he did not wish to proceed any further against Brown.

Prior to his August 2018 arrest, Brown came under fire for reportedly verbally abusing a woman on social media in March 2018.

At that time, the St James Municipal Corporation's minority caucus of the People's National Party served notice that they would bring a motion to have Brown suspended for his alleged actions.

-Christopher Thomas

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