Arrested after woman awakens, finds him standing over toddler

A man who was caught hovering over an infant after breaking into her mother's house blamed intoxication when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Charged with burglary is 26-year-old Romeo McPherson of a March Lane, Kingston, address.

It is alleged that on October 19, about 2:49 a.m., the complainant locked her house and went to bed with her children beside her.

She was later awoken by a sound coming from her front door and she realised that the accused had entered her house.

She raised an alarm and he ran out making good his escape.

She made a report to the police and they later accosted the accused.

The accused told the court, however, that he did not intentionally enter the complainant's home and blamed it on the alcohol.

"I was at a party ...I was drunk, me did try reason wid the police fi tell dem me did drunk."

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey asked the complainant, "did he appear drunk to you?" "No, him neva look drunk. me see him over me three-year-old daughter and me frighten inna di early mawnin and bawl out 'gunman' and him run out."

RM Pusey asked McPherson, "Any reason you shouldn't go to prison?" To which he responded, "Miss, me did drunk." His response did not satisfy the Senior Magistrate who quipped, "when a man is drunk to the level he goes into the wrong house, he wouldn't remember. it's a very terrifying experience to wake up and see a stranger in your house over your child and I'm going to send you to jail for it."

McPherson was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the offence.