Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Janelle Logan, a St James woman who damaged her mother's window during a quarrel, was on Tuesday given a suspended sentence and an order to seek anger management counselling.

Logan, 18, of Dome Street in Montego Bay, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, for malicious destruction of property belonging to her mother, Monica Bennett.

The facts are that, on September 9, the two women were involved in a quarrel. During the dispute, Logan threw stones at the house and damaged one of Bennett's windows, valued at $10,000.

"Miss, you have been down at the Freeport lock-up for a month now. How did you find it down there?" Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small asked a penitent-looking Logan.

"Very hard, ma'am," Logan answered.

"You put yourself down there. If you don't watch yourself, you are going to spend more time down there," RM Wong-Small said sternly. "This is just another episode of behaviour you are engaged in ... this particular incident with your mother is following the same trend."

The judge added: "Only two-year-old babies have the privilege of throwing tantrums, but when you become a woman, that is not acceptable behaviour anymore. What are you going to do?"

"I am going to stay with a friend," replied Logan, looking ready to cry.

suspended sentence

The RM also had words of admonition for Bennett, who looked away during the lecture.

"She (Logan) is now 18; hitting her because she does something you don't approve of is not going to cut it anymore. But if you withdraw your support from her, you are allowing people to take advantage of her," RM Wong-Small told Bennett.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Logan is to be supervised by the probation office for one year, during which time she is to attend counselling for anger management.

"It seems to me that you have a serious problem with anger management. I think you need the realisation that how you are living your life is not going to cut it," the magistrate warned Logan as she handed down the sentence.