By Farah Johnson
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN admitted to assaulting and threatening the mother of his children during a court hearing on Friday.
Maxwell Saunders was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service after appearing before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux on Friday.
Prosecutor Kenny Thompson said the complainant told police that Maxwell Saunders came to her window, on the left side of the house, and woke her up.
She said Saunders told her he knew she didn't sleep at the house the night before and demanded she come outside to speak with him. Sgt Thomspon said when the complainant refused to comply Saunders entered the house and shouted “Don’t let me jick you in your neck (and) whoever come around here who you dealing with". The complainant told police that when she didn’t respond to Saunders’ threats, he punched her in her head and left cheek, causing her pain.
As a result of her complaint, an investigation was launched and Saunders was subsequently arrested. During an interview at a nearby station, he admitted to going to the complainant’s residence that morning, but said he went there to get clothes for their children.
Saunders told the magistrate he was a “law abiding citizen and a single parent who was trying to do right for his children". He also claimed he had experiences with people calling him to come pick up his children because their mother wasn’t there and said that the situation had only escalated because he and the complainant had “never come up with an agreement with what to do with their children.” Stating that he just wanted to get the incident behind him, he “apologised for the situation” and insisted he was an “honest man".
After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Turnquest-Deveaux said she would not impose a custodial sentence and instead order Saunders to complete 50-hours of community service. Still, she warned him that if he failed to do so, he would spend one month at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
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