Mugshot of ah-Marley Alfred. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — A man has been granted bail on the condition that he resides at least 1000 feet away from his girlfriend who he allegedly battered.
Jah-Marley Alfred is accused of simple assault and battery, an act of domestic violence which carries a maximum imprisonment of six months, if convicted.
On the evening of September 11, two police officers were dispatched in reference to a physical altercation where a man allegedly beat his girlfriend with whom he resided. Upon arrival, officers found the alleged victim with visible markings on her head, neck and back. The probable cause fact sheet highlights several injuries as recounted by one of the responding officers. These include a loose tooth, a bump on the woman’s forehead, bleeding below the eye and bite marks on her neck. According to police, the injuries were photographed and the victim was interviewed, where she claimed that she was punched and bitten by her boyfriend. The victim told police she fought back to get her boyfriend off her.
That night, police made checks at the victim’s residence in an effort to find the accused. Officers also searched another area which Alfred is said to have frequented, but to no avail. However, Alfred would be arrested days later after officers conducted a follow up visit to the victim’s residence in search of the accused. He was subsequently charged and as per the domestic violence law he was remanded without bail until an advisement hearing on Wednesday.
Noting that Alfred had no previous domestic violence convictions, Attorney Leslie Davis asked that bail be set at $1,000. Davis further requested that the defendant be allowed to post $101 and sign an unsecured bond for the remaining $899. As part of Alfred’s bail conditions, the Public Defender recommended that the defendant undergo a work search and report to the Probations Office weekly by telephone. She further suggested that Alfred be required to maintain a 1000 feet distance from the victim and requested that the accused be allowed a one time police escort to retrieve his belongings from the victim’s house.
Appearing for the people, Attorney Jasmine Griffin expressed no objections to the proposed terms. Judge Darryl Donohue granted bail as suggested, on condition that the residence where Alfred will remain in is at least 1000 feet from that of the alleged victim.
