Woman has assault charge dropped after husband declines to give evidence

A housewife, accused of assaulting her common-law husband, had the charge against her dismissed yesterday after her spouse decided not to offer evidence against her.

Teneifa Stull, 21, charged with the unlawful assault of Errol Coates, told Magistrate Alan Wilson that she had her one-year-old child in her hand and Coates began to chuck her, so she chopped him.

Stull, however, had pleaded not guilty to the charge when she was arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. But the matter did not go further as her attorney, Paul Fung-a-Fat, informed the court that Coates did not wish to give evidence in the matter.

Fung-a-Fat told the court that his client and her husband had an argument at their Lot 78 Meadow Brook Gardens home on February 20, stemming from Coates returning home and finding no food. Stull and Coates have been living together for four years and have a one-year-old baby together, he stated.

He said Stull had their baby in her hands when Coates verbally abused her, telling her that “she only good for sex”.

Coates did not deny the lawyer’s account, but he told the magistrate that he was very passionate at that moment and he was sorry.