Women avoids jail after violent nightclub attack
(CNS): A 23-year-old woman escaped jail time last month following her conviction for wounding another woman in a nightclub. Ericka Watler was given a 12 month probation order after she pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Jessica Eden at Nectar Night Club in November last year. The court heard that alcohol had fuelled both women into provoking each other, which led to a fight where Watler used a beer bottle to attack Eden. Although Eden suffered two facial wounds, the injuries were not considered to be serious and Watler, who had no previous convictions, was handed a non-custodial sentence and ordered to perform 240 hours community service.
She was also order to pay approximately KYD $1,500 of medical expenses incurred by Eden for treatment to her injuries.
Eden was said to be out enjoying Pirates Week on the night of the fight and decided to go to Nectar Nightclub and Watler entered shortly afterwards. Eden claimed that while she was at the bar, Watler showed her the finger and in response Eden sent her a "whatsapp" message, telling her what to do with it. This led Watler to attack Eden with a beer bottle on the left side of her face. A fight between the two women then broke out in the club, in which punches were thrown until both women were parted.
Eden was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town, where she was treated for two facial wounds and discharged. Water was arrested and interviewed after the altercation and said she was acting in self-defense. Her attorney told the court that there was a history of "bad blood" between the two women, which led to the fight. Watler had stated that she had no intention of attacking Eden and that alcohol had fuelled her impulsive reaction. She had also been deeply remorseful and accepted full responsibility over her actions.
In his ruling, Justice Charles Quinn stated he recognized that both women contributed to bringing about the fight but was concerned that "a young woman with such a promising future" allowed herself to be pushed past the point of rationality. He therefore made an order that Watler participates in anger management counselling so as to "never let her temper get the better of her again".
Category: Crime
I’m glad she didn’t get jail time. That would have just destroyed her future and sounds like she has one going on for her “For the judge to mention it and give her an easy sentence” iit must have been for a good reason. Why are we so quick to put some one down for a simple mistake they did. We should encourage our young people to leave the drama alone and to encourage them to not make the same mistake again. What will jail do for her. Make her angry and want back revenge? Then she will have a real reason to attack her again because her life will be ruined. Think about that before you all post negative comments. And not even knowing the full story behind the fight.
People on this Island are quick to comment or judge another of their own kind. You all tend to take one side and don't know both sides to any story of such. As to what was written for you to read. Read it over and over till you say to yourself is this the full story and to what it say's that Ericka took full responsibility, I applause to her. Not many would even take responsibility being it takes two hands to clap. This shouldn't even be news! The amount of fights that happen at cayman nightclubs that were more serious and didn't make to hidelines on Cayman News. In my honest opinion to those of you who left a negative comment many people know how to defend themselves more than they can pick it. Do your research before you are quick to judge all those who got off a case not just this particular one they are many others that you don't even know about. People always say send people to Jail to do time. Jail don't do anything much but take away a person social life on the outside and the good thing about jail your fed daily, allowed to shower & able to live for free. If it was up to me I would take Jail time just to live for free no stress and no worries. Since people think probation and community service isn't a proper sentencing these days! Easy way to quash this foolishness! I believe that ALL the nightclubs should be closed then, Don't you think? and liquor shouldn't be sold/banned, What do you think about that?. I bet all of you same one's that have some negative comment to say would be the first to say NO and protest against that. Am I right? People have a life. Some situations are not always easy to walk away from on this island. Try worry or focus on about all the murder cases that gone cold or still being worked on because they can't find out to actually close the case and give some closure to the mourning families. The robberies that taking place. This case is closed!
She took full responsibility? Big deal! What else was she going to do – plead "Not guilty" when she bottled someone in a packed nightclub?
Her community service should be to act as Ozzie's CO – might teach her a lesson about anger management and what being a victim feels like.
Violent crazy bottlessomeone in the face over a WhatsApp message and they don't get sent to jail? Maybe the best person to be shown the finger is the sentencing judge. This woman needed jail time.
Would 2 men have gottten off so easy???
Community service is turning into a punishment rather than what it should be- heartfelt service to the community.
Here are go again ! some one suffers a brutal attack and there is (AGAIN) nothing done !!
get drunk ! fight ! cut the face off ! go home ! repeat !!!! we MUST fight alcohol abuse and we should start with the booze ads !
It was "only a bottle to the face" and "not life threatening"! When these two meet again I hope someone videos it so the court can take into account the violent nature of this type of thing.
They shouldn't meet again cause they should both be going on with their lives. People learn from mistakes. Think half of you forgot that it seems.
Since every Tom, Dick and Harry (or Ericka) convicted for a crime seems to be getting ordered to perform massive amounts of communitiy service, I would really like to know where those community services are being performed and who is monitoring it! Based on all those community hours we should not have even a tiny shred of paper flying around any roadside anywhere in Cayman. It would be soooo easy to monitor. Drop them at a road, tell them they have x amount of time alotted to clean up that stretch of road, come back to see if the road has been cleaned up, if not, no credit is given. SIMPLE!
Is this the message that we want sent out to the people of these Islands? Get drunk and wound someone with a beer bottle to the face and get a slap on the wrist.
No wonder the country is going to hell in a handbag.
What a joke! Some is bottled in the face and the attacker does not go to jail?