A miner accused of dealing his estranged girlfriend several cuffs to her face was placed on $80,000 bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday.
Forty-two-year-old Norris Softleigh of Lot 169 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme was arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on allegations that on July 1 at Imbaimadai Landing, he unlawfully assaulted Evadnie Jonas so as to cause her actual bodily harm.
According to Prosecutor Bharrat Mangru, the defendant and the complainant are known for having issues of this nature, which often result in injuries. However, this time, he said, the matter became overbearing and Softleigh’s mother made a report, hence the defendant’s appearance before the court.
The court heard that the defendant dealt the complainant several cuffs to her face. However, the prosecution was not in possession of a medical at the time of the hearing to ascertain the extent of the injuries.
The woman was not in court.
The prosecutor objected to bail on the ground that the address given to the police by the defendant is in fact one in Imbaimadai Landing, and not the one provided to the court.
In addition, Mangru said the parties share a rocky relationship and the prosecution did not want to run the risk of the defendant “tampering with the complainant”.
Softleigh, represented by Attorney Paul Fung-a-Fat, told the court that the address offered to the magistrate was his mother’s and he lives there from time to time.
Overruling the prosecution’s objection, the magistrate set bail at $80,000 and transferred the matter to Kamarang Magistrates’ Court for September 16.
