Man Ordered to Pay Restitution After Damaging Cousin’s Gate During Family Dispute

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A man who pleaded guilty to damaging his cousin’s gate and chain during a heated family dispute has been ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution for malicious destruction of property. The ruling was made recently at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

Forty-year-old Ricardo Shakespeare was also charged with threatening his cousin during the incident.

According to court documents, the incident occurred when the complainant heard barking dogs and discovered that Shakespeare was using a crowbar to break the chain on her gate. It is further alleged that Shakespeare threatened her and chased her around the property.

In his defense, Shakespeare claimed that his cousin had been burning substances such as jeyes fluid and sulfur, which caused him and his son to become ill on multiple occasions. He asserted that he had sought police intervention and had even begged his cousin to stop the burning. He admitted that, in the heat of the moment, he used the crowbar to break the gate’s chain, believing it was the only way to stop the dangerous behavior.

During the court proceedings, Shakespeare noted that other family members had similar issues with the complainant, and Judge Sanchia Burrell called in the relatives to verify the claims. The family members testified that the complainant was the source of the dispute, prompting the judge to ask if she was a “worker of iniquity,” to which the relatives responded affirmatively.

However, the complainant countered by accusing the family of fighting over land and defended her actions, claiming that she burned frankincense and myrrh to purify her space and rid it of negative energy.

After hearing both sides, Judge Burrell took Shakespeare’s guilty plea to malicious destruction of property and ordered him to pay the $10,000 restitution for the damaged gate and chain. Shakespeare was also admonished and discharged on the charge of threatening his cousin.

As part of the ruling, Shakespeare was warned to stay away from the complainant, and his case was adjourned to February 28, 2025, with his bail extended.