Imran Hemraj pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault so as to cause actual bodily harm but he pleaded guilty to a charge of malicious damage to property when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday.

Hemraj, 32, of 2887 Well Road, North Ruimveldt is charged with assaulting Tricia Klass on March 6 at Barry Dam, North Ruimveldt so as to cause her actual bodily harm. It is also alleged that on the same day he maliciously damaged a cell phone valued at $28,000, the property of Klass.

When asked by the magistrate how he damaged the cell phone, Hemraj said that he threw the phone against the wall but did not have a specific reason. He suggested that he was angry or something.  He claimed that the argument with the VC stemmed from a phone call.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Stephen Telford told the court that the VC had severed her relationship with the defendant. On the day in question, she returned home to find him in her apartment where it is alleged that he pulled a knife from his waist and threatened to kill her. A scuffle ensued and the VC received injuries about her body. It was after this that the defendant threw the VC’s phone against the wall.

The matter regarding causing actual bodily harm was put down for March 29 in Court 10. However, for damaging his ex-girlfriend’s cell phone Hemraj was fined $20,000 or an alternative of 10 months imprisonment.