A man who said he advanced to his reputed wife to hit her because she pays no attention to their two minor sons was on Tuesday ordered in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to seek counselling and treatment for alcohol addiction after it was revealed that he indulges in alcohol abuse.
Ronald Sookhoo on July 9 was also charged with using abusive language to his reputed wife. He denied this charge and was placed on $5,000 bail and ordered to return to court on July 26 in connection with this matter.
When given a chance to address the court on the threatening language charge to which he pleaded guilty, Sookhoo said that his reputed wife, Carol Fraser, pays no attention to their two minor sons and does not take her role as a mother seriously.
He accused the woman of leaving the children, ages seven and nine, unattended but she told the court that the allegations are false.
Fraser who is a security guard told the court that because she works on a shift basis, the children are most times left with their aunt; but she denied ever leaving them unattended.
According to her, all the problems come about because the defendant consumes alcohol excessively. The woman said that her reputed husband “hides the rum in the barrel with clothes, the rice pot, and the stewpot and so on.”
The defendant’s story is that even though he speaks to the virtual complainant about her conduct towards their children, she constantly ignores him, telling him that he is speaking nonsense.
He alleged too that while talking to the woman, she lashed him twice in the head with a pointer broom, after which he said she went to the police station and reported the two charges against him. He said that Fraser wants him jailed, as she had said on previous occasions that she will make reports against him which will “loss me [Sookhoo] away in prison.”
Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton before whom the matter was called ordered the defendant to seek counselling services at the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
She ordered too that he seeks rehabilitative services at the Alcohol and Drug Centre of the Georgetown Public Hospital.
A probation officer, who was present in the courtroom when the matter was being heard, was tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that Sookhoo is provided with the services ordered by the court.
The defendant said that he once worked as an undertaker at a city funeral home and as a result would “tek meh lil toops.”
The magistrate, however, cautioned him about his excessive use of alcohol and the problems it has been causing in his home.
He acknowledged what the magistrate had to say and undertook to curb his addiction.
The defendant said that he and his wife had been in counselling before to deal with the issues they were having, and this was confirmed by the probation officer. The officer and the complainant, however, said that on many occasions the defendant arrived at counselling sessions intoxicated.
The prosecution in addressing the court said that on the day in question, the defendant went home intoxicated and advanced towards Fraser to hit her with his hand after accusing her of having an affair.
After giving him a sound warning against threatening his wife, Magistrate Octive-Hamilton firmly told Sookhoo that if he is to reappear before her he will be handed the appropriate penalty.
