A teenager was fined $25,000 or six months in jail for assaulting a teenage girl when he faced the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday.

Charged with assault is 18-year-old Jivan Cole.

The court was told that Cole physically assaulted Kemisha Joseph causing numerous swellings to her upper body and face. Cole pleaded guilty, but told Resident Magistrate's Judith Pusey that he could explain.

In his defence he said, "Your honour she first verbally abused me enuh. Me and her brother had a dispute and she came to me and was trying to quash it. but because she nuh hear what she want to hear, she spit in my face your honour".

RM Pusey asked Cole, "Did she spit in your face or while she was talking her spit catch you in the face?"

Cole replied, "Your honour, she spit in my face!"

Joseph countered those accusations saying, "Your honour, that is a lie, him thump up mi face, your honour ... almost kill me".