By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was yesterday ordered to pay his ex-girlfriend over $1,000 for beating her up last year.
Mario Phillip Bethel, 49, was ordered to pay Nadjila Yearwood $1,500 for the injuries she sustained when he punched her in the head, face and arm on December 31, 2019. He faces nine months in prison in default.
Bethel is married to another woman, who is a Jamaican.
Yesterday, Bethel entered guilty pleas before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on one count each of causing harm, causing damage, and trespassing stemming from what he claimed was supposed to be a meeting requested by Ms Yearwood, his “on-and-off” girlfriend for the past three years, to discuss certain issues.
However, Ms Yearwood suggested through her claims to police that Bethel showed up at her apartment unannounced, and that she wasn’t interested in talking to him, something he apparently didn’t want to hear.
According to the facts read by the prosecutor, Inspector Phillip Davis, Ms Yearwood was at her residence at Old Trail Road on December 31 when Bethel showed up and told her he wanted to talk to her. When she told Bethel they had nothing to talk about, the man then forced his way into the house by kicking down the front door.
Once inside the house, Bethel proceeded to beat Ms Yearwood about the body, particularly about her head, face and hand.
Ms Yearwood consequently reported the matter to the police, and was later taken to the hospital where she was treated for her injuries. The injuries were described as “serious” and “possibly life-threatening”, Insp Davis said.
Bethel was later arrested and when interviewed by police, admitted to the allegations. He further confirmed that he kicked down two doors in the apartment and subsequently grabbed and struck Ms Yearwood.
When arraigned yesterday, however, Bethel told a different story. He claimed that at the time, he and Ms Yearwood had just got back together after a rough split; he said he had previously caught her with two different men, so they “broke it off”.
He said sometime after that happened, Ms Yearwood told some mutual friends she wanted to talk to him. Thus, Bethel said that was the only reason he went to her apartment. But he said when he arrived, the man that was “with her” attacked him.
Due to his guilty pleas, however, Magistrate McKinney ordered that Bethel compensate the owner of the apartment complex, Dorothy Yearwood, $699 for damaging the two doors or otherwise face six months in prison.
Additionally, in addition to having to compensate Ms Yearwood for her injuries, Bethel was ordered to be bound over to keep the peace for one year in the sum of $1,500. If he gets into any problems during that time, he will be fined $1,500 or have to serve six months in jail in default of payment.
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