A 41-year-old man accused of beating his wife and causing injuries to her face, neck and head appeared in Magistrates’ Court Friday.
According to the allegations, Shane Winter, of Long Trench, was home with his wife on Aug. 21. Around 5 p.m., she told him she planned to visit her sister, according to Crown Counsel Herbert Potter.
“He told her she couldn’t, because he was going out and wanted to use her vehicle,” the prosecutor said. “The other one was out of fuel.”
The defendant’s wife suggested dropping him off and picking him up later that evening, but that led to an argument.
“She was told she would not be leaving the home,” Mr. Potter told the court.
The argument allegedly turned violent when Mr. Winter began punching his wife repeatedly in the face. During the fight, he told her to leave the home, warning her not to be there when he returned later that night, according to the prosecutor.
“She said she wasn’t going to leave, which led to more blows to the head and face,” Mr. Potter said, adding that Mr. Winter allegedly restrained his wife by holding her hands and squeezing her neck.
A report was later made to the Road Town Police Station, and the woman was transported to Peebles Hospital, where she received treatment for injuries to the forehead, cheeks and neck, prosecutors said.
The defendant, a native of the Virgin Islands, has two children with the alleged victim. His attorney, Marie-Lou Creque, told the court he and his wife are currently in marriage counselling.
“They are trying to repair the marriage,” she said. “However, they are no longer living together.”
After setting bail at $30,000 signed by one surety, Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards made a request regarding the defendant’s interaction with his wife: “I want the contact to be cordial.”
Mr. Winter is scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 20.