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TOURIST PUNCHED FOR DANCING WITH MAN
Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
<span style="font-weight: bold">A female tourist who punched another tourist in </span>the eye while staying at a popular hotel in Montego Bay was fined in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday.
Kerry Hibbert, 24, of Coventry in England, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Sherice Singh, a Canadian national.
The court was told that the incident took place in the early morning hours of October 20, after Singh had arrived into the island and checked into the hotel the day before.
Hibbert admitted to Resident Magistrate (RM) Sandra Wong-Small that it was her first offence. She also expressed a desire to apologise to the complainant, a gesture which Singh accepted.
Wong-Small sentenced Hibbert to pay a fine of $30,000 or spend 30 days behind bars. Hibbert was also ordered to submit her fingerprints to the police.
The facts are that Singh was on her way back to her room from the hotel's dance hall, when she was confronted by Hibbert who asked her why she (Singh) was dancing with Hibbert's boyfriend. Before Singh could respond, Hibbert punched her in the eye, causing bleeding and swelling.
A report was made to the hotel's management, who in turn reported the matter to the Coral Gardens Police Station. When summoned to the station, under caution, Hibbert said, "I did not punch her, I only slapped her," and was subsequently arrested and charged.
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