Chang and Thompson Trade Conflicting Allegations

Three weeks after a house fire led to a damage-to-property charge against twenty-five-year-old Ashema Chang, she is breaking her silence. The court released Chang pending a psychiatric evaluation, but days later, reports surfaced that she was missing. Her former partner, Eugene Thompson, disputes that account. He claims Chang was never missing and instead began harassing him after her court appearance. Tonight, News Five’s Britney Gordon examines the conflicting allegations and the court’s role in the events that followed.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

For days, questions surrounded Ashema Chang’s whereabouts and the allegations against her. Then, in a late-night livestream, she told viewers she was never missing, refuted allegations against her, and accused her former partner of wrongdoing.

 

Ashema Chang, Missing Person

“From I get with this young man, all ah my colleagues, all ah my family friends di tell me get away from him, try bruk up with him and that da weh I mi di try do actually but that time, it just hard when you so young and you deh pan you own di try be independent.”

 

On September fourteenth, Chang secured a protection order against her partner of six months, Eugene Thompson. The order allowed her to remain in Thompson’s home for another fifteen days. However, just a day later, the house went up in flames, destroying everything inside. Chang denies the allegation that she is responsible for the blaze.

 

Ashema Chang

“It just really hard, and I lose everything. So that house weh he said burn down, most of my stuff in there, so I no know nothing about that.”

 

When Ashema Chang appeared in court on September twenty-second, the Chief Magistrate observed that she appeared confused and disoriented and ordered her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The damage-to-property charge was never read to her, but the court granted her bail of three hundred dollars. Attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley explains what happens when a defendant meets bail but must still undergo a court-ordered psychiatric assessment.

 

Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney-at-Law

“If it’s a situation where the magistrate is offering bail, then the situation would then be that it kind of falls on that person and the family to make arrangements to get a psychiatric evaluation, which is not free.”

 

Richard “Dickie” Bradley

“The magistrate is even helpful to provide to the person or the family member if one is present or to the police to say to the family member that in this case, I saw just within a few weeks that there are two psychiatrists who are available. They are private psychiatrists. They don’t work for the government. You can’t tell them do an evaluation.”

 

Chang denies the allegations, while Thompson maintains his claims and works to recover from the destruction of his home.

 

Eugene Thompson, Fire Victim

“The hope is to return back from the situation, that da weh I di try to think right now because no one no contact me concerning my house again after the last contact. I got me in a whirl because right now I still homeless, and I still no really have nowhere to sleep. Every time I have to beg, lodge in the house on house. It make no sense.”

 

Chang is scheduled to return to court on November thirteenth. Britney Gordon for News Five.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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