WESTERN BUREAU:

Two St James women, who allegedly damaged the window of a relative's van with stones during a quarrel, are to seek legal representation before making their next appearance in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on April 4.

Marsha Morgan and Rosalie Dennis, both of Lilliput, pleaded not guilty to malicious destruction of property against Brenton Cunningham when they appeared in court last Wednesday.

It is alleged that earlier this month, Morgan and Dennis got into an argument with Cunningham, during which the two women flung stones and smashed the back window of his van.

Morgan - the more vocal of the two defendants - told Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small that the quarrel stemmed from a dispute between her son and Cunningham.

"Are you saying you didn't damage the glass?" asked RM Wong-Small.

"No, Your Honour, we are family, and we have farms, and my son would take water from his (Cunningham) farm for our place, and they had a dispute about that," said Morgan.

"Him (Cunningham) run down my son with a machete and him come up to her (Dennis) and say 'Which one of you want the first chop?'" Morgan added. Meanwhile, the court was told that the prosecution's case file is now ready for trial.

"Are you going to speak for yourselves, or are you going to get a lawyer to represent you?" RM Wong-Small asked Morgan and Dennis.

"We can't afford a lawyer," said Morgan. RM Wong-Small set the case for mention on April 4, by which time Morgan and Dennis are expected to secure a lawyer through the court's legal aid system.