A tearful young mother charged with child neglect begged the court’s mercy yesterday after learning she could get jail time for the offence.
“I can’t go to jail. I have to be here for my son. Please I beg you, give me another chance, please,” she cried.
Nikiea John and her ex-boyfriend Gregory Miller both appeared before Magistrate Helen Jones facing child cruelty charges, for neglecting their one-year-old son, Antonio Miller.
Police allege that the situation escalated from an argument between Ms. John and Mr. Miller on Friday, November 25, 2005.
Reports stated that while the two were arguing little Antonio left the house and wandered off.
At about 12:25 a.m. Ms. John phoned police and reported that she couldn’t find her son.
Officers from the Central Detective Unit were dispatched to the home where they launched a full scale search of the area. Sometime around 3:25 that morning the officers found the little boy some four houses away from his home asleep in a yard with some dogs.
As a result, both parents were arrested and charged with the offence. Mr. Miller pleaded not guilty. His matter was adjourned to March 27, 2006 and he was granted $1,500 bail with surety. Ms. John, however, pled guilty.
When asked if she had anything to say before sentencing, the young mother tearfully responded she only left her son for a minute.
“I was just trying to catch Gregory for money to buy our son some pampers and he was walking away from me and I went behind him,” recalled Ms. John, immediately becoming emotional. “When I turned back my baby was gone. I thought someone took him back into the house and when I asked they said no so I went looking for him.”
After pleading with the magistrate for a second time, Ms. John was told that the prescribed punishment for this offence is one year imprisonment.
Magistrate Jones explained to Ms. John that as a young mother she needs to be more careful.
“Your argument with Mr. Miller was more important than your son,” she said. “You might see this as merely an accident, but if you really look at it you will see that it is an accident that could have been avoided.”
Ms. John was ordered to keep the peace for a period of one year and must take child parenting classes over the course of that time. The young lady is scheduled to return to court on December 4, 2006 for an evaluation.
Magistrate Jones made it clear that a failure to comply with any of the mentioned stipulations would not only result in the loss of her child, but her freedom as well.
In the same court Henritch Alexander pled not guilty to charges of stealing and receiving.
According to reports, on Friday, November 25, 2005 Mr. Alexander allegedly stole a black 2003 Chevy Cavalier, SD #1322 valued at $14,000 property of E&K Car Sales and Rentals.
He was also charged with one count of receiving the black 2003 Chevy Cavalier, SD #1322.
Mr. Alexander chose to have his matter heard in Supreme court .
Based on the defendant’s disoriented composure Magistrate Jones ordered that he be taken to Sandilands for evaluation. He will return on December 13, 2005 to the Eight Mile Rock Magistrate’s court, where a preliminary inquiry is expected to be held.
By ANGELO ARMBRISTER, Freeport News Reporter
