Woman accused of attacking bus employee misses court for a second time

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A bench warrant is now out for a woman accused of assaulting an employee of a major bus company at the Sangster International Airport bus terminal, after she failed to appear in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday. Sharon Perry-Anderson is charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in connection with an incident on July 29 during which she allegedly grabbed the complainant by her braided hair and repeatedly pulled her head from side to side, leaving her in pain. Perry-Anderson, who is unrepresented, did not attend Wednesday’s proceedings, while attorney-at-law Stacy-Ann Young was present watching the matter on behalf of the complainant. Perry-Anderson also missed a previouly scheduled court appearance. At that time her brother appeared on her behalf and presented the court with a document purported to be a medical certificate indicating that she was receiving treatment for an illness. However, Young questioned the document’s authenticity, pointing out that it bore no doctor’s stamp and contained several spelling errors. The Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton subsequently advised the brother that the document did not satisfy legal requirements. “It was sent to you by way of PDF, but what the attorney is saying is that what was sent to you by way of PDF does not appear to be an authentic medical certificate from a doctor,” Fairclough-Hylton told the brother. The court previously heard that the complainant had completed checking in passengers when she was alerted that a female, later identified as Perry-Anderson, had forced her way on to the bus. The employee reportedly asked the woman to leave the vehicle and a male passenger assisted in removing her before placing her bag outside the bus. Perry-Anderson took offence and allegedly attacked the complainant, who pushed her away before another male passenger intervened. The incident was reported to the police, leading to Perry-Anderson’s arrest and subsequent charge. Under caution, she reportedly said to the police: “A wah dis? Mi need fi catch mi flight.”