The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who stabbed his girlfriend during a domestic dispute was ordered to attend anger management classes and pay for the medical attention she received for her injuries.

Tyrone Culmer, 43, was charged with grievous harm after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend and smashing her phone on September 24.

The court was told that an officer in the control room contacted the Central Detective Unit in respect to a stabbing incident that occurred in Blue Hill Heights. The officer told the station the victim had been taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital by ambulance. As a result of the report, officers were dispatched to the scene where they spoke to Culmer, who admitted being involved in an argument with the complainant.

The prosecution said the defendant stabbed the woman with a silver coloured blade knife. When they got a statement from her later that day, she told officers she was in her bedroom with Culmer when they got into a disagreement. She said the defendant then got out of the bed, grabbed her by the neck and began repeatedly punching her. She also said Culmer searched the bedroom until he found a six-inch blade and stabbed her about the body. The woman said she was able to fight him off eventually and tried to grab her phone to call the police. She said the defendant grabbed it from her and smashed the phone on the ground. According to the prosecution, the woman received multiple penetration wounds to her abdomen, left thigh and groin area.

During the hearing, Culmer pleaded guilty. He also told the magistrate he only committed the offence because he was trying to “defend himself”. He claimed his girlfriend was the one who grabbed the weapon and tried to stab him.

When given an opportunity to speak, the complainant told the magistrate she had stitches in her left leg and two puncture wounds. She also claimed the incident occurred because Culmer had told her he couldn’t see the television when they were sitting on the bed and she asked him what he wanted her to do about it.

“The next thing I knew I was being attacked,” she said.

As a result, Magistrate Rolle-Davis ordered the defendant to pay the woman $663.50 for her injuries and another $200 to replace her broken phone. He further ordered Culmer to stay away from the woman and told him he would have to attend anger management classes for six months. Magistrate Rolle-Davis warned him if he failed to do so, he would spend 18 months behind bars.