Fine for breaking ex's teeth after she refused sex

A man from central Trinidad who assaulted his former common-law wife, breaking two of her teeth, after she refused to have sex with him, has been fined $5,000.

He has also agreed to pay compensation of $5,100 and was given a month to pay it. He has four months to pay his fine.

The man was sentenced by Chaguanas magistrate Nickolas Ali after he pleaded guilty to assault.

The man offered to compensate the woman, who was told to bring an invoice from a dental clinic. She told the magistrate last week all she wanted was to fix her broken teeth.

An invoice for close to $40,000 was presented to the court – far above what a magistrate can order under the Summary Courts Act.

On March 16, at 2 pm, the woman was asleep when the man woke her up asking for sex.

But his attorney Bhimal Maharajh said his client just wanted to end the relationship.

Maharajh said after his client told his former common-law wife of his intention to end things, she made allegations and accusations which led to an argument.

“A breakup can be hard to swallow…He just wanted to move on,”

In presenting the facts of the case, the police prosecutor said after the accused demanded sex, the woman told him she was not in the mood and asked him to leave her alone.

The prosecutor said the couple started to argue and the man stood on the bed, grabbed her by the arms and threw her off the bed.

As a result she hit her face on the wall and one of her teeth fell out. X-rays showed another tooth was also damaged.

Maharajh said his client was 46 and was remorseful over what took place.

He said his client wanted to tell his former common-law wife he just wanted to move on.