Common-law husband bonded for beating wife

A COMMON-LAW husband was bonded $10,000 for three years Wednesday to keep the peace for beating his wife, the mother of their three children.

Magistrate Alicia Chankar, presiding in the San Fernando magistrates’ court, found Stephen Seebarran, 37, guilty of robbery with violence, assault by beating, making a false report and breach of a protection order. He had pleaded not guilty.

The wife testified that on January 1, 2017, she had broken off the relationship six months before. That day she served him with a protection order, but while leaving the house at Golconda Village on the outskirts of San Fernando, Seebarran ran after her. He had a piece of iron in his hand.

The woman testified that she ran to a neighbour’s house while calling out to him (neighbour). She fell on the ground. Seebarran began to beat her with the iron. Her head began to bleed.

She said that he also grabbed her handbag.

Seebarran denied the allegations, however, Chankar found him guilty on the charges.

The magistrate then asked the wife who their children live with. They are three girls - ages 16, 15 and 11. They are living with Seebarran, she said.

Chankar then asked the wife if she will care for the girls if the court is minded to impose a custodial sentence. The woman replied, “Well, not really.”

Court prosecutor Cleyon Seedan, told Chankar that her sentence must be commended, for it was the most judicial assessment he had ever seen as a magistrates’ court prosecutor. “When everything is considered, the sentence was most commendable given all the considerations.”