Montego Bay man cleared after partner withdraws bodily harm complaint in St James court

MONTEGO BAY, St James — It began, as so many modern disputes do, not with a face-to-face confrontation—but with a phone lighting up in silence.

In the St James Parish Court on Wednesday, Wanya Hutchinson stood before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton facing a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm, a case that prosecutors said grew out of a tense exchange of text messages between him and his girlfriend.

The court heard that at about 12:45 pm in Cornwall Courts, the complainant was at home working when Hutchinson allegedly began sending her messages of a sexual nature. 

According to the prosecution, she chose not to respond. That silence, it was said, sparked an argument between the couple.

What followed, the court was told, escalated beyond words.

It is alleged that during the dispute, Hutchinson grabbed the complainant by her blouse, pulling so forcefully that the garment was torn. He then allegedly headbutted her, leaving her in pain with visible swelling. The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to his arrest and formal charge.

When the allegations were outlined in court, Judge Fairclough-Hylton did not gloss over the seriousness of the charge. She reminded Hutchinson that the offence carries a maximum penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment, warning that a conviction could result in a custodial sentence.

In a pointed moment from the bench, she also posed a personal question, asking him whether he would want anyone to lay hands on his daughter if he had one. Hutchinson replied no, prompting the judge to caution him firmly: “What you do not like for yourself or your own, you do not do to others.”

Despite the gravity of the proceedings, the case took an unexpected turn. The complainant later informed the court that she was no longer interested in pursuing the matter.

With that position made clear, the prosecution offered no further evidence against Hutchinson. As a result, he was discharged from the court.