Imagine finding out that your husband has been living a double life with another woman and two children, following his arrest for allegedly abducting and assaulting her, and then having to show up in court to vouch for your husband’s correct home address.
That was the unfortunate reality of the wife of a 37-year-old St Catherine businessman and technician when she appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court last week.
Her husband, Desmond Douglas was taken into custody and charged following allegations that he abducted his former spouse from her Spanish Town home and brought her to his abode in August Town in Kingston, where he allegedly tied her to a grille.
Douglas, who was reportedly upset at the complainant for ending their affair, is also accused of using a shoe to hit the complainant in one of her eyes.
The accused was also previously brought before the court, but was denied bail because of problems with the address he had given the police.
He had given the police the August Town address as well as the home address of a premises in Greendale, Spanish Town, which he shared with the complainant.
But his lawyer Kara Graham had told the court that Douglas lives with his wife and their two children in Old Harbour and, as a result, the judge had asked the police to verify that address.
The matter was mentioned last Wednesday before Senior Parish Judge Simone Wolfe Reece, who was informed by the investigating officer that she had confirmed Douglas does in fact live with his wife in Old Harbour.
Graham, when questioned by the judge as to why her client had given the police the address which they knew about and not his actual home address, said he was fearful about disclosing that address.
Graham, however, insisted that her client lives with his wife whom she said had confirmed it and had attended court.
The wife was called and on her arrival was questioned about her application with her husband.
The wife, in reply, told the court that she and her husband live together and had been living at their current address for six months “on and off”.
When asked to explain on and off, she said that there were nights when Douglas did not come home.
The judge then asked her how often and she indicated that he would be absent for one night every two weeks.
The wife, who had maintained a surprising disposition since stepping inside the court, then turned to the complainant with a smile and said: “Now I know why.”
The judge, however, remanded Douglas while indicating that she needed to think about granting him bail.
Hence, the matter was mentioned again last Friday where Douglas was offered $35,000 bail.
He was also given reporting conditions as well as a curfew order, and warned not to communicate with the complainant.
According to police reports, on October 3 around 10:00 am the complainant was in her car at home when Douglas got into the car and forced her to drive before taking control of the steering wheel.
Further allegations are that while he was driving the complainant tried to escape, but he grabbed her and prevented her from leaving the car.
The accused, on arrival at his house, reportedly used a tie strap to bind the complainant to a grille.
He then reportedly forced the complainant to unlock her phone which he checked and, having found text messages, became upset.
Douglas also reportedly threatened the complainant and blamed her for breaking up their relationship.
The court also heard that he verbally abused the complainant and threatened her while she was tied up at his house, and she was forced to spend the entire day with him.
Following the incident the complainant reported the matter and he was arrested and charged with abduction and assault occassioning bodily harm.
Douglas is to return to court on November 15.
Ward of the State pleads guilty to buggery
A 19-year-old ward of the State who buggered one of his housemates and tried to assault another, is to be sentenced in the Supreme Court on December 15.
The teenager pleaded guilty to buggery and gross indecency when he appeared in the high court last Thursday at Sentencing Reduction Day, which is geared towards giving accused people up to a maximum of 50 per cent discount in exchange for their guilty plea.
The convict was arrested on March 24, 2017 after he buggered the complainant and was about to bugger another boy, whose clothes he had removed, when a worker at the facility walked in.
The matter was reported and he was arrested and charged.
Sometimes these stories can really get to you enuh.How this lady manage to let this bafoon do all that when there’s no mention of a weapon of any sort or threats to that!!??
Most ppl will agree that 19yo ward of the state should change the children home ward to prison ward for the next 44yrs minimum.Buggery is blatantly wrong n evil to Dweet to minors but Jamaica can’t seem to make up our minds about invoking the death penalty.
Di wife muss wear glasses cause how she neva even smell sumting? Mnlook a only certain ppl tings like dis happn tuh cause if yuh a my husband an yuh a sleep out suh much mi naaaaaa drive yuh dung eno, but mi ago figa out what goes an mi ago duh di maths an pass a dat mi a tell yuh.