A woman, who is accused of injuring her teenage daughter with a hot clothes iron after she stole lasco from her room, is to return to court on August 29, when the case is set for mention.

Charged with cruelty to a child and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm is a 34-year-old mother of a Kingston 20 address.

It is alleged that on July 10, at around 9:30 p.m., the 14-year-old complainant was told by her mother not to enter her room. She disobeyed and went into the room and used Lasco milk that her mother told her not to use.

When the accused found out, she reportedly became angry and began to hit her daughter and allegedly used a hot clothes iron to burn the complainant on her left hand leaving scars and bruises.

McCarthy, who pleaded not guilty with explanation, told the court "I was upset, when I was beating her, I didn't know; I did not intentionally burn her your honour."

To this RM Pusey exclaimed, "reckless!" The complainant reiterated, "I didn't know I burn her; I was so upset that I didn't know it (the iron) was there," to which the judge added, "negligent!"

After much prodding by RM Pusey, the accused admitted, "I was ironing and I had the iron in my hand, I was in a rage, I thump the wall and started beating her."

McCarthy also revealed that her daughter has been giving her trouble for some time.

"She's out of control, she's bringing boys over the house and locking them up in the closet, I brought her over the station for them to talk to her and them seh is our generation."

The child's mother also revealed that her daughter also has a problem with stealing.

"She stuffs snickers in her underwear as well; she's just red-eye. She doesn't want (anything); I make the sacrifice for her," McCarthy said.

RM Pusey added, "sex is all around, that is nothing new. Children are not inherently bad; it is what we expose them to, that's what makes them bad."