Left to right: Melanie King, Toyarn King.
The woman accused of brutally attacking a Saltibus teen and causing her to suffer major injuries to her nose and parts of her body has decided to tell her part of the story.
Melanie King, who requested not be referred to as the teen’s step-mother, said she was visiting her mother who lives in Piaye on Tuesday, February 16, when the fight occurred.
“I left my two sons with their father Grutus Stephen (also father of Chevy Stephen). I arrived at my mother’s house in Piaye at approximately 7 p.m. and spent only a few minutes there,” she said.
King said she was waiting on a bus to return home in Choiseul at approximately 7:30 p.m. when she saw Dawn Stephen (Stephen’s mother) getting off a bus and assumed it came from Vieux-Fort.
“I walked towards the bus to find out whether it was a Choiseul bus. However, it was a Saltibus bus. Therefore, I walked back to where I was standing,” she explained.
At about 7:45 p.m., King said she saw Stephen’s approaching. King was in the company of her sister, who she said, later accompanied her to the road to await transportation.
“Stephen’s left all of the space there was to pass and squeezed her herself between Toyarn and I, and brushed us both. She then began to verbally assault us and there was an exchange of words.”
According to King, when Stephen’s met a group of friends, they encouraged her to walk back towards her and her sister, and she did that and started threatening them.
“She came right into my face and gestured at me with her hands threateningly and violated my private space. She continuously poked me with a packet of biscuits,” King claims.
Despite several warnings, Stephen’s did not back down and according to King, she kept backing away from the road and got onto the grass bordering the road.
“Stephen followed and slapped me across my face. I slapped her back and that is when the fight started. She kept on punching my belly and saying repeatedly, “I killing that child. You not carrying that child.”
King, who is eight months pregnant said, “With the weight of my belly, a bag on my side and Stephen’s height and size I was overpowered by her. She grabbed me by hair and used her other hand to punch me.”
It was at this point when King’s sister, Toyarn, intervened and attempted to get Stephen off her sister but Stephen allegedly held on tight to her hair.
“She bit my finger and all the while she still had me by my hair. She punched me several times with one hand while she continued to hold my hair with the other and fought with Toyarn simultaneously.”
King claims Stephen also pulled her by the hair towards the road and in the process they both fell. King said she bruised her knees and Stephen allegedly proceeded to kick her in the belly.
“The fight soon ended. Stephen walked to her home with the help of no one. Toyarn and I have no idea how Stephen got the injury. All we know is that she walked herself to her home,” she concluded.
King said she visited the St. Jude’s Hospital for a medical examination and medical statement since she had been experiencing periodic pains since the very night after the fight.
“I have been hospitalized since and I am uncertain as to when I will be discharged. I am also working on filing an assault charge against Chevy Stephen,” she ended.
However, King and her sister were jointly charged with grievous harm when they made an appearance at the Second District Court on Tuesday, February 23.
King, 27, was placed on $1,000 bail, while her sister, Toyarn King, 20, was placed on $2,000 bail.
They were both granted bail under strict conditions.
Both sisters were asked by the court not to interfere with the victim and stay 100 meters away from her. They were also asked to report to the police frequently, until the conclusion of the matter.
The case was adjourned to April 12 for case management.
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