Marital dispute after ‘bedtime story’ sends husband to jail

Nov 27, 2014 News 0

Husband and wife, Michael and Raquel Paul appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, after a marital dispute ensued on the couple’s anniversary over the weekend.
It is alleged that on Saturday November 22, at Lot 127 Oronoque Street, Georgetown, Michael Paul damaged Raquel Paul‘s table.
It is also alleged that on the same day Michael Paul unlawfully and maliciously wounded Raquel Paul with a chair at the couple’s residence.
According to Police Prosecutor Dinero Jones, the accused and the victim are married and both reside at the same address where the incident occurred.
The 43-year-old defendant told the court that the incident actually happened on Friday, not Saturday, while they were in the midst of celebrating their wedding anniversary. The defendant said that he received a call from a supposed relative which caused his wife to become enraged.
In his defence he told Magistrate McLennan that his wife was under the influence of alcohol and that she began cursing and ‘lashing out’ on him. The husband said that he advised his wife to “go and take a fresh”, and even assisted in getting her a towel and drying her off.
Michael Paul told the court, “After everything calmed down we even lie down and do we regular bedtime story.”  It was unbeknown to him that a problem was at hand. He also said this is a regular thing. “She does do this thing every time we get into a problem, she does run to the Help and Shelter. I tried to explain myself but nobody doesn’t want to listen.”
He also told the court that his wife in her ‘drunken’ rage damaged property belonging to him. These included louver windows, a fan and the table in question.  Michael Paul pleaded ‘not guilty’ to both of the charges against him.
Prosecutor Jones objected to bail due to the fact that both the accused and victim reside at the same residence, that it was a regular occurrence and also because a tenant of the home had to rush to the victim’s assistance.
Magistrate Ann McLennan was unsympathetic to the husband’s explanations and remanded the accused until December 1. The matter has been transferred to Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond.