In an extraordinary courtroom development, an 80-year-old grandmother’s decisive testimony directly resulted in her grandson’s incarceration for assaulting her. Jamel Douglas, 38, of Dascent Cottage, received an 11-month prison sentence for the Boxing Day 2025 attack on Kerhen Jacobs at her Lodge Village residence that resulted in actual bodily harm.
The judicial proceedings took a dramatic turn when Chief Magistrate Colin John consulted Jacobs regarding the prosecution’s recommendation for a suspended sentence. Instead of leniency, Jacobs delivered compelling testimony about her grandson’s persistent aggressive behavior. “He is very rough and rude. Sometimes, you talk to him and he listen, other times he don’t,” she stated, emphasizing Douglas’s pattern of aggression toward her.
The incident occurred on December 26, 2025, when Jacobs was conversing with a friend on her porch. Douglas arrived uninvited and sat on a table despite being asked to leave. He subsequently escalated the situation by jumping on the table aggressively. When Jacobs attempted to call for assistance, Douglas wrestled the phone from her hand, injuring her finger in the process, before deliberately smashing the device valued at EC$270.
Following his guilty plea to both assault and property damage charges, Douglas presented mitigation arguments citing historical mental health issues and perceived unfair treatment by family members. Notably, the chief magistrate observed that Douglas missed the opportunity to offer a genuine apology during these proceedings.
Upon sentencing, Magistrate John emphasized the sanctity of personal residence, stating, “Your grandmother should be allowed to enjoy her home in comfort without disturbance by you.” The court additionally mandated that Douglas compensate his grandmother EC$270 for the destroyed phone within two months of his release, with a six-month prison term awaiting should he fail to comply.