A dispute over a car, after two lovers fell out, landed Derrick Charles in court charged with taking the vehicle without consent and making malicious phone calls.

But Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves had pity on Charles - who admitted the offences but said the facts were wrong - and gave him a conditional discharge.

The court heard Charles, 24, of Hamilton Parish, and his girlfriend Shakia Simmons, had split up, but they had bought a car together.

Charles said he paid $3,000 of a $5,000 deposit on the Toyota Yaris and was paying half of the $300 monthly repayments on the car.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill said on August 20, Charles found out Ms Simmons' new boyfriend was at her home and he told her she would not get the car back.

He called her on his cell phone saying he would kill her if he found the new boyfriend in the car and gave the impression he was smashing up the car, said Ms Dill.

There was a sound of breaking glass during the call, but when Police recovered the car, it was undamaged.

Charles told the court he didn't take the car because it was in his possession all the time. Police called him and gave him half an hour to return the car to Ms Simmons, and arrested him when it was not handed over in time.

Mr. Greaves told Charles: "When the new king moves in, the old king has got to move out. In every part of the animal kingdom it happens.

"You've got to take your dog and walk. It says that in the Bible, or is it your bed? Leave thy bed and run. Let the other fellow in." Mr. Greaves said Charles could not be charged with theft if he felt he had moved the car in good faith, so he gave him a conditional discharge.

But he urged him to take civil action against Ms Simmons if he had any problems getting back the money he had paid into the car.