By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A TEENAGER who admitted punching and slapping his rival during a fist fight was yesterday ordered to attend anger management classes.
Police said the 17-year-old injured another teen when he fought him in the Fox Hill area on February 24.
He pleaded guilty to one count of causing harm during his hearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes.
The court was the guardian of the complainant told police her son was in the Fox Hill area when the accused approached and assaulted him. The woman said her son required medical attention after the incident and requested police action. The accused was arrested a short time later.
When he was questioned in police custody, he owned up to the offence. According to the prosecution, the complainant’s hospital form indicated he had sustained swelling to his eye.
The youngster was subsequently charged.
During his arraignment, the teen told the magistrate he only fought the other young man because he and a group of his friends had tried to “beat him up” when he was out with his little brother on Fox Hill Day. He said when he happened to see the boy on his street corner, he thought he could get him back “one on one”.
In response, Magistrate Forbes told the youngster if he and the complainant kept going back and forth with one another there was a possibility his mother would have to make funeral arrangements for him in the future. He explained that although he may want the altercation to end this time since he got the last hit, the other teen may not be willing to let the situation stop there.
He said the reason why the country has the challenges it does is because people do not know when to stop escalating issues with one another. As a result, he ordered the teen to attend anger management and dispute resolution counselling at the Department of Social Services for 12 months. He warned him if he failed to comply with the conditions of his release, he would be sentenced to three months in custody.
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