A woman yesterday recanted her testimony that her reputed husband had abused her and Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond adjourned the hearing to today.
On April 17, Anita Hodge had appeared in Court Ten and had given detailed evidence against her reputed husband Lingsford Benjamin, who was charged with assaulting her.
Yesterday she took the stand and told the court that her husband did nothing. “On the last occasion I did say he choked me and lifted me up but now I’m saying he did nothing,” Hodge said.
The Prosecutor then asked for the matter to be stood down while he gathered his facts.
According to the facts, the incident occurred at the couple’s Lot 5 Princes Street home. Benjamin, who is the father of Hodge’s two children reportedly arrived home on April 9 at 23:00 hrs and proceeded to drag Hodge from the door to the road, during which time he cursed her. Hodge had told the court that the two argued and she then walked back to the house and went inside. She testified that the accused followed her and began to argue some more and then choked her, lifting her off the ground. She said the children came out and told him to stop hitting their mother and alleged that Benjamin told the children that they were ungrateful and that he had been minding them all their lives.
Hodge said she then ran upstairs and locked herself in a room, but the accused started banging on the door. She stated that the neighbours told her to come out and go to the police, which she did.
The matter was recalled in the afternoon session yesterday and then adjourned until today.
