NASSAU- A jealous husband allegedly beat up and threatened his wife after he accused her of cheating.
Prosecutors allege that an enraged Sergeant 2006 Omar Nottage, 51, punched and threatened the woman at her father’s house in Matthew Town, Inagua on April 14, 2021.
Nottage risks losing his job and pension benefits if convicted of causing harm and threats of harm.
Nottage has pleaded not guilty to the charges at his trial before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.
His wife testified that Nottage put her in fear of her life when he came the house around 3pm on the day in question.
According to her, he shoved her up against the wall and said, “You know what I would to do you if I catch you doing anything.
The wife, who has filed for divorce, said that she managed to break away and ran outside.
Later that day, around 8:30pm, the woman claimed that her husband assaulted her again while her father was home.
She said that she had left the marital home because of a “previous incident.”
While in the front room, the woman said Nottage accused her of “f****** someone.”
She said she got up and walked off as her husband continued to make accusations of an affair to her father.
The witness testified that she didn’t realize that Nottage had followed her until she opened the bedroom door.
She said Nottage started punching her in the back and side. As she tried to fend him off, they allegedly fell onto the bed before they rolled onto the floor.
The wife said she “ended up on top” and warned her husband not to hit her again.
She said she called the police. However, when they came her husband denied any wrongdoing.
The woman said she had bruises on her neck and scratches to the arm and breasts, which were photographed by a police officer.
Wife denies affair with husband’s boss
In cross-examination, defence lawyer Bjorn Ferguson said Nottage had confronted her about an alleged affair with Superintendent Henderson.
The alleged victim said their relationship was a professional one. She said the senior policeman patronized her customs brokerage business and attended her church.
She claimed that Nottage had cheated during their 10-year marriage and had also been verbally abusive.
On the other hand, Mr Ferguson suggested that they began having problems when Superintendent Henderson came to the island.
Additionally, Mr Ferguson suggested that the woman the aggressor in the struggle—and had only filed a complaint to support her divorce petition.
However, the woman said she had already been granted a divorce.
Ferguson told the woman that she was still legally married because the court had not granted a decree absolute.
Also testifying was Inspector Trevor Brown, from the Police Complaints and Corruption Unit.
Brown said he charged Nottage after investigating the complaint.
However, Ferguson said that the investigation was incomplete because Brown did not interview the woman’s father.
According to Brown, the woman’s father did not want “to get involved.” The prosecutor, Inspector Timothy Bain, has closed his case.
