A man and his reputed wife were ordered to seek counselling by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton when they appeared before her after the man allegedly assaulted the woman with a hammer.
Gary Williams denied unlawfully assaulting Ceralene Blackette on March 27 and moments later Blackette told the court that she did not want to offer evidence against him.
Magistrate Octive-Hamilton then asked the woman if she was sure she wanted the matter to be dropped and if she had been assaulted by the man before.
Blackette said that she was hit by the man before but he quickly stated that he was “very angry the first time when I slapped her.”
This prompted the magistrate to ask the woman if because Williams was “very angry” he had the right to slap her. Blackette did not answer.
With regard to the March 27 incident, Blackette said that her reputed husband went home under the influence of alcohol and picked up the hammer. Afraid for her life and what he might have done to her at the time, Blackette said, she immediately called the police. She said the man had not hit her with the tool.
After listening to the woman’s story, the magistrate asked her again if after all that she had experienced with the man she was sure that she really didn’t want to offer evidence against him.
Magistrate Octive-Hamilton told the VC that the story she had related is one to be taken seriously since the possibility existed that she might not have been given the opportunity to stand and tell her story.
Attorney-at-law George Thomas who represented the accused was also encouraged by the magistrate to ensure that his client seeks counselling so as to ensure that another unfortunate incident does not occur.
The matter was subsequently dismissed and the accused was ordered to pay $25,000 court costs.
