Woman beater threatened to kill himself

Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque says she sees "no sign of remorse" in the eyes of Jovany Stephenson, the 32-year-old man who was seen in a viral video kicking a woman as she laid helplessly on the ground in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, last week.

Cole-Montaque made the comment yesterday after observing Stephenson in the prisoner's dock at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

"I see the way he has been glancing just now [and] when I look at those eyes, I see no sign of remorse," the senior jurist said.

Stephenson, the court heard, threatened to commit suicide last Friday, two days after he was seen in an amateur video stomping on the woman and cursing her.

"He called me on a private number on the Wednesday night it happened and said it was out of frustration he did it. And then on Friday now, he called before he go to jail, [and said] that him going to kill himself," the complainant told the court.

Stephenson was accused of physical assault against the complainant, who is the mother of his children, on two previous occasions. One of the matters was resolved years ago after the couple was sent to mediation. However, he was last year booked for unlawful wounding, committed against his babymother. He pleaded guilty to that matter yesterday.

Stephenson was also charged with assault occasioning bodily harm following last Wednesday's incident.

The complainant said that when they appeared in court last Wednesday for the unlawful wounding case, she sensed that she would have been attacked.

"Your Honour, I saw the way he was looking at me the last time we come and I waited the 15 minutes to leave. I go outside and he just attacked me from nowhere," the woman recounted.

She told Cole-Montaque yesterday that she suffered bruises to two fingers as well as other injuries as a result of last Wednesday's attack.

"I can't manage to take care of the babies; I have two babies for him. It is just me alone," the complainant said as she lamented the impact of the injuries.

"I come before you already when I was pregnant and you sent the matter to mediation," the complainant continued, sharing that she was compensated $65,000 by Stephenson.

Meanwhile, the judge, having been informed of the nature of the injuries sustained by the complainant last week, said Stephenson is now in "the half a million range for damages because her life is not the same now".

She said that Stephenson must make restitution. He failed to come up with money for compensation yesterday, and was remanded until March 30, when he is expected to be sentenced for unlawful wounding.