Parents of the bride ordered to keep the peace after assault charges

A husband and wife recently blamed tensions over their daughter’s impending nuptials as the reason they ended up in court charged with assaulting each other.

John Bentham, 48, and his wife, Jennifer, 37, who pleaded guilty when they appear-ed before Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Christianburg Magistrates Court last Wednesday, escaped prison sentences. The Benthams, of South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, who were each charged with assaulting each other on Saturday, May 25, did not get off without reprimand by the magistrate, who also placed them on a bond to keep the peace, failing which they would be imprisoned.

The court heard that Jennifer, a day care teacher, kicked her husband, who retaliated by pushing and head butting her.

The magistrate asked who started the fight and Inspector Oswald Pitt said it started with John pulling a bowl of five-finger (carambola) from his wife and throwing it away.

Inspector Pitt added that Jennifer tried throwing out John’s clothes and when he tried to stop her,