A La Romaine mother accused of assaulting her stepdaughter was granted $20,000 bail when she appeared before a San Fernando Magistrate on Tuesday. Narisa Ellis, 25, of La Romaine, pleaded not guilty to the charge when she appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington in the San Fernando Magistrate. She was represented by attorney Subhas Panday, who told the court Ellis has a four-year-old daughter of her own.
According to the charge, the incident allegedly took place on May 27, at Ellis’ Berridge Trace, La Romaine home. Panday said Ellis hit the child with a belt, causing welts on the back of her legs, because she had been caught stealing. He said Ellis had previously gone to counselling with the child in an attempt to curb the child’s outburst of bad behaviour, with no success.
Panday said the matter was a minor one, as his client was not abusing the child, but trying to discipline her with a belt as the child had been acting out. “I’m sure we all got more than that as children,” Panday said. “I remember when I was in college I get licks until my pants smoke.” However, Wellington said he did not remember ever being “caned” the way in which Panday described.
Panday appealed for bail for Ellis, telling the court that her stepdaughter had begun living with her (the child’s) grandmother since the incident. He told the court Ellis has no previous matters and that she is not a criminal. In granting bail, Wellington ordered that the child remain at her grandmother’s house while the matter was being heard.
He granted bail with surety in the sum of $20,000 or a cash deposit of $7,500. The matter was transferred to the San Fernando Fourth Court and adjourned to July 21.