The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 26-YEAR-OLD man who assaulted his ex-girl-friend and damaged her family’s property after losing his temper in a jeal-ous rage was yesterday put on probation for a year.

Police arrested Ricardo Richardson after he assaulted and threatened to kill the mother of his child on January 3. The prosecu-tion said the accused also made death threats to the woman’s sister, broke seven windows of the home they were staying in and dam-aged the complainant’s mother’s car.

The court was told that Richardson and his ex-girl-friend were in an “on again, off again” relationship for four years but offi-cially ended things late last year. The pair, who have a four-year-old daughter, remained cordial after the split.

However, on the night in question, Richardson called the woman and asked her where she was. When she told him she was at home, he said he knew she was lying because he was stand-ing in her bedroom. The court was told the com-plainant was actually at her uncle’s house with her daughter attending a family gathering. The prosecution said Richardson then went to that residence to con-front his ex-girlfriend.

When she told him she did not want to be both-ered, he kicked down the door of the bedroom she was in and cursed at her.

Richardson then said he would kill the woman and her baby, before stating: “If you go to sleep all y’all will be dead.”

The court was told the ex-girlfriend and the rest of her family who were in the home became fearful, which prompted her to call the police. However, when she attempted to do so, Richardson swung at her and ended up hitting their 4-year-old child. The com-plainant’s sister then pushed the accused in an attempt to part the fight. He then said: “If y’all want to live y’all better grab y’all niece and come out this house.” He then went outside and began throwing large rocks and a beer bottle at the windows of the home. The complainant’s mother’s car was also damaged. Rich-ardson was arrested a short time later, in an interview with police in custody, he claimed he tried to leave the home after the argu-ment that night, but was “held hostage” by his ex-girlfriend who didn’t want him to go out during curfew hours.

After listening to the prosecution’s facts, Mag-istrate Rolle Davis told the accused he went on an “expensive rampage” and his actions could not go “unscathed”. As a result, he ordered Richardson to pay for the repair of the seven broken windows and dam-aged car glass and placed him on probation for one year. He warned Richard-son if he failed to do so, he would be fined $2,500 or sentenced to six months behind bars.