“I fed up, I asking for peace,” Sunita Persaud pleaded when she appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday, relating to the court years of physical abuse at the hands of her reputed husband Mark Singh.

Singh, 36, of Charlotte Street, Bourda is charged with assaulting Persaud and using threatening language to her on March 26. He pleaded guilty to the assault charge but not guilty to the threatening language charge.

He told the court that Persaud assaulted him first by kicking him in the back and he retaliated by slapping her. He added that he is the father of Persaud’s three children and he usually gets up early to take care of them because she did not have time for them.

However, Persaud contradicted what Singh told the court, saying instead that she is the one who takes care of the children as Singh does not contribute financially. She said he spends his money on alcohol.

On the day in question, Persaud said, she went home to find Singh on the steps intoxicated. She went into the house with her children and locked him outside, she said.

Infuriated, Singh tried to gain access to the house and he succeeded by climbing through the bathroom window. Persaud said he then began beating her with his hands. She ran out of the house and was able to stop a police vehicle which was passing and reported the matter. He was then arrested. Persaud said they have been living together for 18 years and Singh usually abuses and threatens her.

Singh was refused bail and the parties were referred to the probation officer. The matter was transferred to Court 10 for April 15.