A man who was accused of abusing his wife was yesterday sent on his own recognisance and advised to seek counselling after it emerged that abuse by both parties had been ongoing.
Ceon Edwards, 29, was charged with assaulting Mellissa Kattow, 27, at their Sparendaam home and causing her to sustain injuries.
Prosecutor John Singh said the couple had been having ongoing problems and after an argument between the two over their bed, Edwards became enraged and pulled his wife and stepson off the bed.
Singh said Edwards held the woman’s mouth and this caused her to cough up blood.
When Magistrate Alex Moore asked the man to plead, he said, “guilty with explanation,” adding that he did not hold his wife’s mouth and cause her to bleed.
Kattow interjected that her husband had held her by the throat and his hand had jammed her mouth and this had caused an injury to her lip. She said too that he pushed her into the wall and this caused her head to swell and abrasions on her shoulder blades.
The magistrate asked if this was true and Edwards replied, “Yes.” But then he added, “This incident occurred on November 6 and I am confused why she would make a complaint on November 24.”
The man’s question prompted the magistrate to ask Kattow what was the objective of bringing her husband to court. Before she could’ve responded, he asked her, “Did you want to use this assault as an ace card?”
The woman smiled and said, “Yes, I did not like how he speak to my son last night.”
She went on to say that her husband is very jealous and he has an anger problem, and all she wants is for him to take anger management sessions at Help & Shelter.
Her husband immediately responded, “She is the jealous one.” He said every time he gets a phone call and speaks to female friends, this would irritate her. However, she would indulge her male friends in conversations at night. He said he would be “watching television [and] she would buss out a laugh.” But when he asked to whom she was speaking, “she don’t get time wid me.”
He also said that she would constantly hit him.
The magistrate then asked Kattow if she hit her husband and if her actions were as a result of a need for attention. Kattow smiled and ignoring the latter question, said, “Yes, but he is the one that tell me I must fight back.”
Edwards also told the court that his wife constantly threatens to take him to court and she even tells her son that Edwards will soon be in jail.
As more accusations were made, the magistrate admonished the woman, telling she cannot hit her husband, nor can she bring a two-year-old into two adults’ argument. He told her that constantly threatening her husband to take legal action when they have a disagreement is psychological torture.
The magistrate then told he couple that their relationship is fractured and they should seek counselling because they are not sure what to do with their feelings.
Edwards was released on his own recognisance and the matter will be called again on January 26, 2015 at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
