A RESIDENT of Villa who was found guilty of trespassing onto his ex-girlfriend’s property and damaging her window has received a suspended sentence and must pay compensation for the damage caused.

Amare Nichols, 36 years who appeared at the Serious Offences Court ( SOC) on September 23 on three charges of trespassing and damage to property, re-appeared at the SOC for trial on October 4.

During his September 23 court appearance, Nichols had pleaded guilty to one charge of trespassing onto his ex-girlfriend’s property on September 21, by going onto her porch with the intent to commit an offence by intimidation. As a result, he was placed on a $1,000 bond. If broken, he will be required to pay the amount forthwith or spend six months in prison.

Although he pleaded guilty to another charge of trespassing onto his ex girlfriend’s property on August 23, he pleaded not guilty to a charge of damaging one glass and aluminium window valued at $500, the property of his ex girlfriend, on the same date.

These other two charges were dealt with on Tuesday, October 4 at the Serious Offences Court.

The virtual complainant along with her 15-year-old son and two other police officers appeared in court as witnesses.

The ex-girlfriend, who was the first to take the stand said that she and the defendant were seeing each other for nine months during which the defendant lived with her.

However the relationship ended before August 22, 2022. She said that on August 23, she was at home around 11:30 p.m with her 15-year old son and her brother who has a disability.

The complainant said that she and the other occupants of the home heard Nichols come outside of the house as he usually does, knocking on her door and window and shouting her name and her son’s name.

She said that he was shouting and saying “open the f**ing door.”The woman said that about five minutes later she heard foot steps going to the back of her house then she heard the window break out. She also said that she waited until in the morning to go to the back of the house to see the damage to the broken window.

Station Sergeant, Renrick Cato told Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne that the prosecution wanted to know what assurance the defendant would give the court to stay away from the virtual complainant.

He said at that point the prosecution thought that a custodial sentence was needed but if the court was considering a suspended sentence then a warning was also needed so that the defendant would stay away from the ex-girlfriend.

After deliberation, the Chief Magistrate handed down an eight-month suspended sentence for the charge of trespassing onto the virtual complainant’s property.

She also found the defendant guilty of damaging his ex-girlfriend’s aluminium and glass window. He was ordered to pay compensation of $500 by November 30.