By Breaking Belize News Staff: Jonathan Bennett is tonight in debt to the court for $705 after pleading guilty to a charge of threat to damage to property, stemming from allegations that he threatened to burn down a woman’s home with her and her children inside.
Bennett appeared unrepresented before the Senior Magistrate in Court #2, where he was read a single charge in connection with threats made against 37-year-old Rosellie Cacho, a hairbraider of the Jane Usher Boulevard area.
Cacho alleged that on January 26, 2026, Bennett threatened to burn down her house with her family inside, placing her in fear that the threat would be carried out. She further claimed that he was holding a gallon of kerosene at the time and appeared ready to set the house on fire. Fortunately, the threats were not executed, as a police mobile arrived in the area and detained Bennett.
When first asked to plead, Bennett told the court, “Guilty because I just wah go home.” However, the Magistrate explained that a guilty plea could not be accepted out of frustration, especially since Bennett had appeared earlier that morning on a separate charge involving the same virtual complainant arising from the same set of circumstances.
After being cautioned, Bennett again pleaded guilty and indicated that he accepted the facts as read. He offered no further mitigation.
In handing down sentence, the Magistrate considered both mitigating and aggravating factors. While no mitigating factors were found, the court noted as aggravating that Bennett had a prior conviction for threatening words, which was relevant to the current offense. The court set a starting point of $800 and increased it by $200 due to the aggravating factor, bringing the fine to $1,000.
A deduction of $300 was then applied for his early guilty plea, resulting in a final fine of $700 plus $5 in court costs. Bennett was ordered to pay the total of $705 by April 30, 2026, in default six months imprisonment.
According to police reports, on Monday, January 26, 2026, at about 5:00 p.m., Cacho arrived home and saw a man with long hair wearing camouflage and holding a machete running toward her. She reported that he made chopping motions in her direction, causing her to run into her house with her children.
Cacho told police that although she did not personally know Bennett, she had seen him around as he is the nephew of her neighbor. She further alleged that he cursed at her and threatened to burn down her yellow house, where she has lived for three years.
She stated that she saw Bennett with a bottle of kerosene standing about two feet from her window and that he also threw coconuts at her house. She said that when a police mobile entered the area, Bennett discarded the bottle of kerosene and was detained.
Bennett had also been charged with aggravated assault in relation to the same incident. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and is currently out on bail. He is due back in Court #3 on July 8, 2026.
The post Crazed man fined $705 after pleading guilty to bizarre attack on woman; trying to chop her with machete, throwing coconuts at her home and showing up with kerosene gallon threatening to burn house down appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Jonathan Bennett is tonight in debt to the court for $705 after pleading guilty to a charge of threat to damage to property, stemming from allegations that he threatened to burn down a woman’s home with her and her children inside. Bennett appeared unrepresented before the Senior Magistrate in Court
The post Crazed man fined $705 after pleading guilty to bizarre attack on woman; trying to chop her with machete, throwing coconuts at her home and showing up with kerosene gallon threatening to burn house down appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
