A 44-year-old security guard has been ordered to compensate his ex-girlfriend after he was found guilty of assaulting her.
Roen Richardson, of Ottley Hall, appeared before Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on June 2, where he was found guilty of a charge that on Sept. 12, 2025, in Kingstown, he assaulted Cleopatra Harris, of Largo Height, causing actual bodily harm.
Harris testified that she and Richardson are coworkers at the Kingstown Town Board and were in a relationship for two and a half years, but broke up six weeks before the assault.
However, on the date of the assault, she was working the morning shift when Richardson came to her on Bedford Street and asked her to get back together.
She said a man with a non-Vincentian accent went to her worksite and she gave him a park, and he thanked her with a hug.
Harris told the court that upon witnessing the encounter, Richardson approached her, “chucked” her in the chest and said that he (Richardson) was her (Harris) man.
She said Richardson began telling her she’s a “wh##e”, “soft”, and I had “all body feeling” her up.
Harris said Richardson returned sometime before 2 p.m., and loaned her a metal chair.
He continued with his insults, so she got up from the chair and told him he was “dotish” (doltish).
“I am a big woman and can do whatever I want to do,” Harris said she told the defendant.
Harris said Richardson then took the chair and began hitting her on the hand.
She said she reported the matter to her supervisor. They met with Richardson, after which she reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation Unit (CID) in Kingstown, which issued her with medical injury forms and investigated.
Harris said that after the incident, she showed the police text messages that Richardson sent to her phone saying he did not mean to injure her.
She further stated that she asked the police to let Richardson have nothing to do with her.
During his cross-examination of Harris, Richardson questioned the type of chair used, claiming it was plastic rather than metal.
Richardson also produced messages to show that Harris contacted him after the incident.
Harris said the messages were to tell him not to contact her.
Richardson reserved his right to give evidence, saying, “I just want to get the matter over with.”
Before sentencing, Harris told the court that she and Harris were in an abusive relationship.
“I should have left but I was scared,” she said.
She said she did not want Richardson to go to prison but wanted EC$5,000 in compensation, adding that the scar is still on her hand.
The prosecutor, Corporal of Police 817 Samuel, told the court that Richardson was convicted in 2016 of damaging a cellular phone.
Stapleton said he was not asking for a custodial sentence.
The magistrate ordered compensation in the sum of EC$750, with EC$450 to be paid forthwith and the balance by June 26 or five months in prison.
He was also fined EC$250, with EC$150 to be paid by June 26 and the balance by July 15, or serve five months in prison.