A man was yesterday sentenced to a month in jail, after he admitted to bursting his girlfriend’s upper lip during an argument.
It is alleged that Joel Forde, on June 5, at Lot 653, First Street, Agricola, unlawfully and maliciously wounded Shanice Maynard.
According to the prosecutor’s facts, the defendant has been in a relationship with Maynard for the past eight years and is in the habit of assaulting her. As a result of Forde’s frequent abuse towards Maynard, she was forced to move into her mother’s home. On the day in question, the defendant went to the very home and behaved disorderly. Maynard then asked the defendant to leave the home but he refused after learning that another male was texting her phone. This annoyed Forde causing him to cuff and kick Maynard about her body, resulting in her suffering injuries to her upper lip.
The defendant told the court, however, that on the day in question he went to her mother’s home and was speaking to the defendant when he observed that her phone kept going off. He added that he told her that he was going home, however, she pulled him back and an argument and scuffle ensued. As a result of the scuffle, the accused stated that he ended up hitting the defendant on her lip.
“Mi and mi girl done decide we gon end the matter,” Forde said, while begging the court to be lenient with him.
Nevertheless, Magistrate Fabayo Azore told the defendant that she would not fine him for the crime since he is in the habit of hitting his girlfriend. She noted the facts that the defendant had asked the court for leniency, and that the injury which the complainant received is not life threatening.
On these grounds Forde of Eccles Housing Scheme, was sentenced to one month in jail for the offence.
