Woman in court after boyfriend’s cash goes missing

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Allegations of missing cash from a St James home have escalated into a court matter, with a woman now facing a charge of simple larceny. The complainant is her boyfriend.

Doreen Brown appeared in the St James Parish Court before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton on Wednesday in connection with the charge.

Court documents state that on March 2 the complainant was at home with Brown when an argument developed between them. It is said that he later left the premises, leaving approximately $800,000 in a box in his room.

Upon returning, he reportedly discovered the room had been ransacked and the box containing the money was missing. He attempted to contact Brown, but calls went unanswered and went to voicemail. He later reached out to her daughter and asked that she inform her mother to return the money, but was subsequently unable to make further contact.

The complainant made a report at the Barrett Town Police Station from where an officer later contacted Brown. When she realised who was on the line she allegedly became abusive, referred to the complainant as “idiot bwoy”, and told him, “Mi want $100,000 out of it fi all night mi bleach with you… Mi want money fi go build up mi house weh blow dung.”

The matter was later reported to the Irwin Police Station, and Brown was arrested.

When asked by the judge whether she was guilty, Brown did not give a direct answer but instead claimed that the complainant had given her the money.

The prosecution did not oppose bail, and Brown was granted bail in the amount of $150,000 with up to three sureties.

“Where do you live ma’am?” Judge Fairclough-Hylton then asked the accused.

“At Farm Hill, but I don’t live there anymore because the house blows down,” Brown replied.

“So where do you live?” the judge asked again.

“Mi just kotch, kotch, kotch,” Brown said, adding that she sometimes stays with her daughter.

As part of her bail conditions she was ordered to reside with her daughter and report to a specified police station on designated days.

She is scheduled to return to court on May 27.