Sentenced: Ashunti Smith, one of the girl gang members in Magistrates' Court. Photos : Mark Tatem

Sentenced: Girl gang member Jewel Nelson and her mother leave Magisrates' Court.

Two girls who beat a member of a rival girl gang leaving her bleeding with a broken nose were given probation orders and community service.

Ashunti Smith and Jewel Nelson, both 19, denied attacking Sierra Scraders on May 2, 2007 but were found guilty by Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo.

Magistrates' Court heard the girls were part of a group called Honey Dips, while Miss Scraders belonged to Pretty Girls.

They were 17 years old at the time of the offence.

According to a summary of evidence by Prosecutor Robert Welling, Miss Scraders was in Middle Town, Pembroke at a party on the night of the attack with four of her friends from Pretty Girls when six Honey Dip girls came to the party.

The groups began to argue at the party and Miss Scraders and her friends decided to leave on their cycles.

When one of the girls rode off, Nelson, a Jamaican national, slapped her across the head but the girl continued because she didn't want a fight.

Minutes later, the Honey Dips left the party and stood in the middle of the road so that the Pretty Girls couldn't ride past them.

Miss Scraders was a passenger on her friend's bike at the time. Her friend tried to ride past the group but Nelson, of Smith's, pushed the bike and the rider stopped.

The complainant, who was a S3 student at Berkeley Institute at the time, got off the bike with her helmet in her hands.

Nelson, Smith and a 16-year-old girl who cannot be named, then rushed towards her. Miss Scraders stepped back and swung her helmet to defend herself.

"Defendant Nelson, however grabbed hold of the complainant's hair and pulled her to the ground. She then punched and kicked the complainant several times to the head and body. Defendant Smith joined in the altercation and struck the complainant with a helmet and kicked her repeatedly to the head and body," the court heard.

The girls, along with the 16-year-old, left Miss Scraders crying and bleeding on the ground.

She was taken to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where she was treated for a broken nose, cuts to the side of her nose, scratches to her face and bruises on her head, legs and elbow.

Miss Scraders underwent surgery for the cut on her nose which needed 15 stitches.

Nelson and Smith, of St. David's, were arrested on June 1, 2007. They were charged with unlawful wounding and possession of an offensive weapon on June 21.

The 16-year-old girl was dealt with in Youth Court.

Speaking before sentencing, Nelson said: "I am sorry for what had happened to Sierra Scraders. I didn't want anything to happen like that. It wasn't planned. I was young."

Smith told the court: "I would like to say I'm sorry to the court and to Sierra Scraders and her family for the turmoil they have had to go through and for wasting the court's time. I can assure you that you won't see me again for nothing like this."

Mr. Tokunbo sentenced both girls to two years' probation. Nelson also received 80 hours of community service while Smith was given 50.

This archive article requires registration and login to view. Click here to proceed to the login, registration. Archives require payment..

More Ways to Share Article...

Tip a friend
Message:	Your name: Your e-mail address:  To e-mail address: