The three women accused of being involved in two fights at the Langley Park Government School in October have been found guilty of trespassing and assault.
Magistrate Kaywana Jacobs handed down her verdict on the trio, Roxy Baptiste and her sister, Lukeisha Baptiste, and Roxy’s daughter Azania Caine, at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
They had been charged that on Oct. 3, 2024, they entered upon the property of the Langley Park Government School to wit the schoolyard to commit the offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The Baptistes were charged also that on Oct. 3, at Langley Park, they assaulted Donnette Sampson, 34, a teacher, of New Chapmans/Cedars, causing actual bodily harm.
Caine and Roxy were charged that Oct. 3, at Langley Park, they assaulted Lushan Sampson, 38, an auxiliary police officer, of New Chapmans, causing actual bodily harm.
The women were made to mount a defence on May 26 after the court overruled a no case submission by their lawyer, Israel Bruce, who was absent during Monday’s sitting, with counsel J’lany Williams holding for him.
The prosecution’s case was that on Oct. 2, 2024, Sampson was teaching Azania’s child, who used a toy gun to spout water on other students.
The grade 2 student was “disturbing” and “screaming,” so Sampson sent him to the Head Teacher, Sherrylan Springer.
When the child returned to the classroom, he continued spraying the other students with the water gun.
The teacher repeatedly told the pupil to behave himself but he persisted, so she “spanked him twice on the foot”.
The following day, Oct. 3, 2024, Springer met Sampson and Azania in the school corridor and Sampson explained what had transpired the day before.
Azania went to inquire about why Sampson had hit her child the previous day.
During the conversation, Azania became aggressive and began cursing, saying that if she had to visit the school again because someone hit her son, “me nah go talk”.
The principal then told Azania to leave the school premises, but she refused.
As a result, the principal asked Sampson, who is also Danette’s sister, to escort Azania from the compound.
Lushan held onto Azania’s shoulder, after which a fight broke out between Azania and the security officer.
However, in her defence, Roxy told the court that Lushan pushed Azania and told her to leave the school’s compound.
She said she told Lushan, “don’t push my daughter” and Azania told Lushan, “Don’t push me; I would leave when I’m ready.”
Roxy said Azania did not leave, although she told Azania “Let’s leave! Let’s go!”
Roxy said Lushan pushed Azania a second time and both women held on to each other and started to fight.
Roxy said she “jumped in the middle and tried to part but I couldn’t part them”.
She said she did not see Lukeisha strike Lushan on the day.
She said there was a gathering including persons from BRAGSA.
Roxy testified that Danette was recording the incident, and she did not bite Danette, neither did she know who bit her.
In her evidence, Lukeisha told the court that she took her son to school that day and asked Azania what she was doing at the school.
She said Azania was speaking to her (Azania’s) son when Lushan Azania a second time and they started to fight.
Lukeisha told the court Roxy tried to part but was pushed aside.
Lukeisha said Dannete, who was recording the incident, struck her in the back, and she retaliated and struck Dannete.
Lukeisha said that Azania was speaking to her (Azania’s ) son when Lushan pushed her (Azania) twice after which a fight broke out between the two.
She told the court Roxy tried to part the fight but was “pushed aside” and she did not know by whom as there were a lot of people there.
Azania told the court that she had gone to the school to enquire about her son being flogged with a belt the previous day and to lodge a complaint to the head teacher.
She said after she lodged the complaint, the head teacher told her to leave but she was not satisfied with the head teacher’s response.
Azania said she was telling her son to go into the classroom when Lushan came, pushed her and told her to leave.
Azania said she told Lushan, “Me go leave when me ready.”
She said Lushan held on to her hands and pushed her a second time, and they both started to fight.
In her closing submission, the prosecutor, acting Sergeant of Police Corlene Samuel urged the court to find the women guilty.
However, Bruce argued that the defence had not presented a “shred of evidence” to support her case beyond a reasonable doubt.
He said Azania was not charged for use of indecent language or breach of the peace and the prosecution did not produce a “shred of evidence” to suggest that his client had visited the compound as a criminal trespasser or to threaten, intimidate or annoy.
The lawyer argued that although the medical report pointed to bite marks, there was a disconnect between Lushan’s claim that she was bitten, adding that there was no video evidence and nothing mentioned in the police report that was tendered in evidence.
Bruce told the court that all but one of the prosecution’s witnesses’ evidence
was “fabricated” and “filled with inconsistencies”.
He said it was the worst case of inconsistencies that he had ever dealt with.
In handing down her verdict, Jacobs said that Azania did not leave the school compound when the principal asked her to do so, but was loud and used expletives even as the students were having their devotion and a teacher had closed a classroom door to drown out the noise.
After handing down her verdict, the magistrate said she was considering remanding the defendants in prison until Thursday.
However, Williams persuaded the court to release them on bail, saying that they are employed and mothers of young children.
The prosecution did not object to bail and asked that the station bail of EC$2,000 with one surety be continued.
Samuel also informed the court that the defendants had attended each scheduled hearing in the matter and arrangements may not be in place for their children if they were remanded in custody.
The magistrate set sentencing for June 26.