Scarborough man must compensate ex-girlfriend for beating with iron

A Tobago jury on Tuesday convicted a Scarborough man for assaulting his then-girlfriend in 2012.

Mikhail Bowen, also known as Mickey, of Glen Road, was before a nine-member jury and Justice Gail Gonzales in the Tobago Supreme Court. He was ordered to compensate his victim and pay a fine.

The trial began on Monday and on Tuesday, jurors returned with a guilty verdict for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

It was the State’s case, led by prosecutors Indira Chinebas and Kanisa George, that on June 26, 2012, Bowen’s girlfriend at the time went to drop off food for him and saw him kissing another woman.

She cursed him, threw away the food and left. On her way to visit a friend,she said she noticed Bowen following her. She stopped by a garage and Bowen approached her, shouting, “So you vex with me or what?”

She told him to leave her alone as she wanted nothing to do with him, but he continued shouting at her, demanding to know if she was angry.

She cursed him, telling him to leave her alone and Bowen, after goading her to repeat what she said, took up a piece of iron from the garage and struck her on the back as she turned to walk away.

She fell to the ground and Bowen repeatedly beat her with the piece of iron, threatening to kill her. The jury heard he told her, "You don’t know who is me? I is a bad man from Trinidad.”

The woman crawled into the garage to get help but Bowen followed her and hit her again.

In all, she was struck eight times and a medical report tendered into evidence showed she received injuries to the head, legs, back and buttocks.

She eventually borrowed a phone and called the police. She also managed to retrieve the piece of iron Bowen dropped before he left, and gave it to investigators.

In his defence, Bowen claimed self-defence and denied attacking her. He claimed she followed him, pushed him in the head and collared him. He also said she was bigger than him and was older, and while he admitted he hit her a few times, he said, “It wasn’t to do she nothing.”

He also denied kissing another woman or hitting her on the head.

PC Kern Phillips, who testified for the prosecution, said he met the woman at the station and had her identify the piece of iron she brought with her.

Phillips also said he spoke with Bowen, who told him, “That is not how it happen. I hit her with it, but not really to do her nothing.”

After the jury convicted him Gonzales ordered Bowen to pay his victim $10,000 in compensation. If he fails to pay, he will serve six weeks in prison.

He was also fined $5,000 and ordered to pay it in three months. If he fails to do so, he will serve 18 months.

Bowen was represented by attorney Frank Peterson.