Magistrate's Court

Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News

Magistrate's Court

Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News

A woman who was beaten by her husband over claims that she cheated on him, has begged the Magistrate not to send him to jail.

Michael Ashby on the day of his arraignment, August 17, pleaded guilty to assaulting his Guyana-born wife.

During his reappearance in court this week, the 38 year-old woman asked the sitting Magistrate to just give her husband a warning or send him for counseling.

The woman, who has been married to Ashby for some five years, said she only works four days a week and he assists her tremendously. However, she admitted that she is afraid of him when he gets upset, but he does not control her. Further, the woman said she misses her husband a lot.

Ashby was granted bail in relation to a separate charge of robbery. He was granted bail in the amount of $100,000 signed with two sureties and $40,000 of the amount has to be paid in cash. The construction worker was also ordered to report to the Police Station four times per week and surrender his travel documents. The Magistrate attached the same bail offer for the robbery case to the assault case.

According to court records, the alleged assault occurred on Friday, July 20 as Ashby was taking his wife to confront a man he accused her of sleeping with.

The woman was at home around 9:55 am when Ashby called her out of their home and used indecent language as he accused her of sleeping with another man.

The woman denied the accusation, but according to Police investigations, Ashby insisted that it was true because the person she slept with had told him so.

They both agreed to go meet the person; however, the court was told that when they got in the vicinity of the old prison on Main Street, Ashby struck his wife in her left eye and continued to curse her.

Ashby reportedly said that he did not care and wanted to know why his wife would sleep around on him.

The two continued and when they reached the car wash in Lower Estate, Ashby confronted the gentleman who he claimed was sleeping with his wife.

Further, the allegations state that the gentleman started to laugh and pointed at Ashby and told him, "you are a (expletive); you are a (expletive)". The man then turned to Ashby's wife and told her, "GT girl don't worry with he at all".

The prosecution pointed out that Ashby's wife walked away, but with her eye starting to swell, she asked her husband for money to see the doctor and he refused.

She later made a report to the Police on July 25. She was taken to Peebles Hospital and it was observed that she had a blood-shot eye.

Ashby will return to court on October 1.