– husband to compensate wife $263,000 for destroying her property

BERNARD Da Silva, 30, of Lot 316 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, an optometrist of Da Silva’s House of Optics, appeared before Georgetown Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday to answer to threatening behaviour and damage to property charges.He pleaded not guilty to the charge that, on Wednesday, January 15, at Middle Street, Georgetown, he behaved in a threatening manner towards Devika Singh Da Silva, but admitted committing the offence of unlawfully and maliciously damaging one Dell Laptop computer and four car tyres belonging to the virtual complainant (VC) and worth $263,000.
Police Corporal Dinero Jones, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant and the VC are husband and wife, but have separated two months ago as a result of the defendant’s infidelity.
They are the parents of a two-year-old daughter, and the defendant visits the home occasionally. On the day in question, the VC was out with her cousin and when she returned home and parked her car, Da Silva demanded that she exit the car.
The VC refused his request because she was afraid of the knife he had in his hand. The defendant used the said knife to puncture the car tyres, then he threw her laptop into the gutter.
The defendant indicated that he would like to compensate his wife for her loss.
He said he did not intend to threaten her, but had become angry at the tone of her response after he had spoken to her. He said he had to go out of Georgetown on account of his job, and the VC had asked him to make arrangements for his parents to baby sit their daughter, but she did not turn up on time with the child.
He related that, a year ago, the VC had chopped him, burnt his clothes and broken his car windshield.
The VC admitted doing the things he listed except breaking the windshield, which she claimed his mother had done.
The defendant was ordered to compensate the woman $263,000 for the damage done to her property, and was placed on $5,000 bail on the threatening behaviour charge.
They were both bonded to keep the peace for 12 months, and the case was put off for February 7.

(By Geeta Rampersaud)