Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 30, 2008 News
Despite his plea for leniency, 45-year-old William Johnson was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for assaulting his reputed wife when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle.
The accused was charged with two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and with setting fire to a dwelling place.
It is alleged that on Wednesday July 16, at Sans Souci, Wakenaam, he unlawfully and maliciously set fire to dwelling place of Somawattie Persaud, his reputed wife.
It is also alleged that on July 15 he assaulted the woman, then the following day he assaulted Anna Persaud, his stepdaughter.
To the setting fire to dwelling place charge and to the charge of assaulting his stepdaughter, Johnson pleaded not guilty. However, to the charge of assaulting his reputed wife he pleaded guilty.
In his own defense Johnson said he only acted out of anger when he hit his wife. “Your worship I come home de night and when I reach at de gate I see me wife and a man sexing on the front step…So I call she and I slap she couple times and cuff she but me ain’t bun down no house,” Johnson related to the court. He added that during a scuffle with his wife she threw a lighted kerosene stove at him in self defense and that started the fire.
At that point the Magistrate told the man that in his best interested after seeing his wife on the step with the other man he should have just left the home.
The magistrate then inquired why he just didn’t walk and find another woman. “Your worship I could get a next woman but I can’t find one like she,” Johnson responded.
For the other assault charge Johnson said his stepdaughter attacked him but he never assaulted her. He further asked the magistrate to exercise leniency with him since he has children of his own to maintain.
Police Prosecutor Sherwin Matthews told the court that on the day in question Johnson and his wife had a misunderstanding and he took her to a nearby burial ground and beat her.
Matthews further objected to bail on the grounds that if released on bail he would interfere with the witness and he would not return to trial.
At that point the Magistrate asked whether he was still together with his reputed wife; he said yes.
“Your worship me and she ain’t done; we gon stay together fuh life,” Johnson said.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for assaulting his wife and refused bail for the other two offences. Johnson will make his next court appearance on August 20 at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court.
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