The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A man who punched his children’s mother after he caught her naked on a video call with another person was placed on three months’ probation on Friday.

The 35-year-old was accused of harming his children’s mother on October 27.

The court heard the woman was involved in an argument with the accused around 9.10pm that night. She told police during the verbal altercation he beat her about the body which caused her to sustain injuries. The complainant then filed an official report and requested police action. The accused was arrested a short time later. In an interview with police, he admitted to punching the woman.

During the hearing, the defendant told the magistrate that night, he was in his front room on a Zoom call. He claimed he was having connection problems so he went to his room to ask his children’s mother for assistance. The accused said when he opened the door, he saw the woman on a video call with another person while she was naked. He said when he asked her who she was on the phone with, she pushed him and the two of them got into a fight.

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Armbrister placed the accused on probation for three months. He told him if he failed to be of good behaviour during that time frame, he would be fined $300. Magistrate Armbrister also told the accused he needed to move away from people who upset him since he should not touch anybody in an aggressive way.