WESTERN BUREAU:
A MAN WHO allegedly burned a house in which he and his now estranged girlfriend lived was remanded in custody's on Tuesday when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrates Court.
The judge also suggested that he be taken to the doctor for psychiatric evaluation after his lawyer revealed to the court that he has a mental illness, which is exacerbated by his use of ganja.
Dwayne Malcolm, a 26-year-old Hanover resident, is facing a charge of arson and malicious destruction of property. The file is now complete and a date was set for November 30 for the preliminary enquiry to begin. The court, however, will be taking evidence with regard to the arson charge.
It is alleged that on December 4, 2004 at about 1a.m., Malcolm went to a home in Porto Bello, St. James in search of the complainant. The occupant at the house told him the complainant was not there. He proceeded to throw stones at the house, damaging some of the windows before he left.
It is reported that he went to a house in Farm Heights, St. James, that he and the complainant shared. It is further alleged that he went inside the house and removed his clothes and a component set.
Shortly after he left, neighbours saw smoke coming from a section of the house and alerted the Montego Bay Fire Brigade, but the house was completely destroyed before their arrival. The complainant was not at home at the time.
Malcolm was apprehended sometime in October this year.
RM Winsome Henry told defence attorney Ronald Paris, that she could not grant bail as she feared that Malcolm could pose a threat to the already frightened complainant, who took out a temporary restraining order against him. It was also revealed to the court that the two had a history of domestic violence leading up to the incident.
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