Local preacher Carlton O'Neal fined $1000 for assaulting wife
Mr O'Neal was found guilty of assaulting his wife and the mother of his son, Jamaican national Shakesha O'Neal on March 22, 2019.
During the sentencing on Monday, January 20, 2020, at John’s Hole, Mr O’Neal’s attorney Stacy Abel made a request to the court for the conviction to not be recorded against her client.
Prosecutor Kael London objected; however, stating that there were no exceptional circumstances that would justify not recording the conviction against Mr O’Neal.
Magistrate Baptiste-DaBreo agreed with the Prosecution that indeed there were no exceptional circumstances in the matter, which means the man of the cloth now has a conviction.
O’Neal found guilty
It was on Monday, December 9, 2019, that Mr O’Neal was found guilty of the offence against his spouse.
The Magistrate said she could not believe his side of the story as it was not making logical sense.
Baptiste-DaBreo remarked that Mr O'Neal kept repeating simple questions while he was being cross-examined as if he was trying to buy time to figure out his response.
The Magistrate then said she believed the Crown's version of events of what the Virtual Complainant, his wife, testified to during the trial.
During the closing arguments, Prosecutor London asked the court to "accept the VC as a witness of truth" because her evidence was coherent and consistent, especially during cross-examination.
He said the swollen wrist in the medical report and the photos, "lends to the consistency of the VC's testimony," as opposed to the now-convicted man's testimony to the court that was riddled with inconsistencies.
"His demeanour was quite evasive," Mr London pointed out and beseeched Magistrate Baptiste-DaBreo to reject Mr O'Neal's testimony.
"The Crown has discharged its burden, find him guilty," he surmised.
It was all about the $$- O'Neal's attorney
Ms Abel, Mr O'Neal’s lawyer, in turn, sought to discredit the VC's testimony, telling the court that the wife packed seven suitcases and never said she was in pain or took medication for pain on the day of the alleged incident.
She said the VC endangered the life of occupants of the vehicle and other road users when she tried to exit the car during traffic and her husband "did grab her hand and had reason to grab her hand."
The Defense Attorney then attacked the work of the investigating officer, who she felt did not do a good job while investigating the matter.
Attorney Abel said the photos of the VC's wrist were taken four days after the alleged incident and the officer did not even visit the scene of the alleged crime in Sea Cows Bay.
"We are only here because she didn't get her $15,000 to leave. If she had gotten the $15,000 we would not be here. There are too many holes in this story; it doesn't make sense," Ms Abel argued.
In response, Mr London said the VC packing suitcases after the incident was irrelevant and the Investigating Officer could testify to the VC's appearance on that day.
He said bringing the VC to the crime scene was "neither here nor there", and the Magistrate should instead look at the evidence before the court.
The VC said her husband offered her $15,000 after he abused her in the presence of their young son.
According to the VC, she left her husband and returned to Jamaica with their son and was 'doing well.' She; however, decided to return and give her marriage another chance, but the alleged domestic abuse continued.
But, the defendant said his wife had kidnapped his child and wanted to extort him.
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36 Responses to “Local preacher Carlton O'Neal fined $1000 for assaulting wife”
The bible is full of wickedness, violence, sexism, revenge etc, he was just following what this evil book says. make the book illegal and the world will be better place
Shut ya st**k sk**** Buh evil book
These JA men and women are excessively agressive, especially the women. like it's in their genes to be agressive and controlling... Still they are the sweetest people.... Why she didn't drop the charger and give the man a chance save him from the embarrassment.... I'm sure ha has given her many chances.... He knows he has to leave that behind. Put that in the history books.. Move on.
Hold your head up my boy. Facts, why would he offer her money and then go to the High Court to get an injunction to keep his son here? If he assaulted her and wanted her to leave why did he not give her the money? Thank God he divorced her before she get any status here.
not saying everyone is perfect but he is a very decent young man
these women of tola only wants to use and dump you...have you clean their dirty hohouses.wash their dirty clothes build nice houses marry you then take you to court and drain you. They are not in it for love just for you to build them up. Dont eat from them they will poison you then get away scotch free cause "they from here". Wise up...they are a set of vultures looking to feed off you all. Dont bark up their tree...let them ugly sc@#t go one side
Nah judge we jamaican woman as the same for this woman. Not all ah we dat ah cum on the bvi seen cum for money. Some ah we does wuk for what we want and nah botha nobody.