A 32-year-old public transit conductor has been handed a three-month custodial sentence for violating a court-issued peace bond, a ruling that comes only weeks after he was first placed on that same bond for an unrelated prior offense. Dario Jamar Cheltenham, a resident of Phillips Road, St Stephen’s Hill, entered guilty pleas before Magistrate Jared Richards to two new charges: assault occasioning actual bodily harm on fellow route taxi operator Ramon Marshall, and criminal damage to Marshall’s prescription eyeglasses, stemming from an altercation that unfolded on October 23. He will return to the District ‘A’ Traffic Court next month to receive formal sentencing on those two pending assault and property damage counts. Testifying in court, Police Constable Troy Tudor confirmed that both men are employed as workers on route taxis operating the high-traffic Jackson route, and had a pre-existing strained relationship with no recent amicable contact. The chain of events that led to the assault began when Marshall was driving along Warrens Road, only to spot Cheltenham standing directly in the roadway, obstructing the flow of oncoming traffic. Marshall and the passengers riding in his van repeatedly shouted at Cheltenham to clear the driving lane, but instead of complying, Cheltenham approached the moving vehicle unprompted, reached in, and slapped Marshall hard across the face. The force of the blow shattered Marshall’s eyeglasses and lacerated his right nostril, causing immediate bleeding. A shocked Marshall exited his van to chase Cheltenham, who fled toward the nearby Dome Mall parking lot. During the pursuit, both men lost their balance and fell to the ground; Marshall, with the assistance of a bystander, managed to restrain Cheltenham, at which point Cheltenham bit down hard on Marshall’s upper back. Following the altercation, Marshall immediately filed an official police report and sought out clinical medical care for his facial and bite injuries. When addressing the bench, a visibly remorseful Cheltenham stated, “I swear before God I am not lying to you. I am being fully transparent because you have always treated me fairly. I was heavily intoxicated at the time, I take full responsibility for my actions, and I know I was completely in the wrong. I offer my sincerest apology, and I will never engage in behavior like this ever again.” He went on to confirm that he did not have the $500 required fine for the bond breach on hand to pay immediately, telling the magistrate he would opt to serve out the related jail time, and would arrange to compensate Marshall for his damaged glasses once he is released from custody. Magistrate Richards expressed sharp frustration at Cheltenham’s repeated disregard for prior court leniency, noting, “You were standing right in this courtroom just a short time ago, and I gave you a second chance by placing you on a peace bond, because you had no one available to sign your bail paperwork. That prior case was fully resolved, and all you were required to do was stay out of trouble. Now you are right back here, facing new charges of violently attacking another member of the public. It is very clear you are treating the authority of this court like a trivial joke. You left this man injured and destroyed his personal property, and your actions are completely irrational. I will be coordinating directly with the assault victim to determine the full amount of compensation you owe, and if you are unable to pay that sum, you will face additional consecutive jail time on top of your current three-month sentence for the bond violation.” The full proceedings have been formally adjourned until November 9 to finalize remaining sentencing details.