Four months’ jail for chopping wife

STANLEY RAMRAJ of Gasparillo was jailed yesterday for four months for chopping his wife, Wendy, on the left hand with a cutlass on Wednesday.

The sentence was passed by magistrate Kerri-Anne Byer in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court after 49-year-old Ramraj pleaded guilty. Wendy sat in court, her left wrist bandaged. Prosecutor Sgt Chandradath Jhillbit said it was 5.30 pm when Ramraj took a cutlass and dealt Wendy a chop. She was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital for treatment. The prosecutor passed to the magistrate a medical certificate and the cutlass.

Byer asked Wendy to approach the bench and asked how the incident had impacted on her life at home. A mother of two teenage boys, she said, “He is a man who starts a normal conversation then it would erupt into an argument. He will trip. He needs psychological counselling.”

Asked why he chopped the woman, Ramraj detailed for the magistrate his attempts at disciplining their children. He heaped blame on his wife for setting a bad example to them. Byer told him that whatever the circumstances, picking up a cutlass was far too outrageous an act, especially in the presence of children.

“Is this the example you are setting for your two boys? Pick up a cutlass to chop? You don’t agree you have a temper problem?

Wendy told Byer she wants a restraining order against Ramraj and eventually a divorce. Ramraj responded, “I will take my clothes and leave. If she want to sell the land, I will take my half share.”

Byer told Ramraj he had shown little remorse and were it not for his previous good character, he could have faced the full brunt of the law. She ordered he serve the jail term with hard labour. The magistrate then asked Wendy if she wanted the cutlass and she said yes. She and her son left the courthouse with it.