Attorney at Law Wendel Robinson, now Alexander, says he was approached “unprofessionally” to settle the court matter between lovers Ebony Nicole Nicolas and Jennifer George-John but declined.

Last week, John was found guilty of damaging the Mazda Jeep of her girlfriend, Ebony, in December 2021, after Ebony allegedly inflicted severe injuries to her face and legs, which required her to undergo two surgeries.

She pleaded self-defense as she claimed that Ebony was armed with a knife coming towards her, leaving her with no choice.

She was also ordered to pay compensation of $22,000.00 and fined $2,000.00

But in a media statement over the weekend, her legal team, led by Alexander, said the ruling will be appealed. That appeal could be filed within days.

Several persons have asked whether the matter could have been settled out of court since the couple involved seem very much in love.

Alexander confirmed that an individual approached him he refused to name but turned down the request.

“I do not believe in settling criminal matters out of court. It is a criminal offense. I was approached and abruptly refused because I did not want to be seen as perverting the court of justice. Private citizens can settle their matter out of court, but once it is brought before the criminal court, an attorney has to be very careful because it can be seen as perverting the court…” he said

“I believe she erred on the issue of self-defense and the requirement of self-defense,” he added.

Alexander believes that the judge erred in her judgment, especially since the circumstances surrounding this case are complex, involving a chain of events that escalated under distressing conditions.

“I believe she erred on the issue of self-defense and the requirement of self-defense,” he said.

​He said his client, John, endured a traumatic incident of violent, life-threatening, physical abuse, saying that she could have died from the severe beating that she took, and suffered three different sentences.

Furthermore, he said while persons convicted of malicious damage are not penalized with imprisonment, she was jailed for five days.

Robinson believes that his client’s actions, including the damage to the jeep, should be viewed in the context of the overall situation, especially the record of physical abuse by Nicolas and the toll it took on her.

“Her face was swollen. She was beaten all over. She suffered a broken ankle and had to undergo two surgeries,” Alexander said

John’s response, according to her attorney, while regrettable, was a direct consequence of the physical harm inflicted upon her.

“We are not disputing the damage of the vehicle. If it was done in the interest of self-defense, then that must be considered. The question to my mind is whether the judge applied the right principles in concluding that the matter was not self-defense,” he explained.

Several other issues will be ventilated in the appeal, including but not limited to splitting the case into two trials and specific regrettable comments during the trial and the court’s decision.

“Splitting the case in two is one of the things I have a serious problem with. Ebony is also charged with inflicting bodily harm, and instead of having one trial, it was split in two. When a trial is split, one court may not get all the facts about what transpired.”

“When you have a case, with the same incidents, same persons involved, that would be good reason to have a joint trial,” he said

Alexander says her legal team is allowed a 40-day window to file the appeal but it will be done way before that.