An airline co-pilot was found guilty of assaulting his wife after he slapped her face so hard that it left her with a punctured eardrum, a skull fracture and hearing loss.
The 33-year-old Bahraini man was sentenced to a year in prison by the High Criminal Court.
Judges, however, suspended the verdict for three years after the wife withdrew her report against the defendant.
The attack took place in July after the jealous husband searched through his wife’s phone and found a conversation with her co-worker that angered him.
He admitted to charges of physically harming his wife and unintentionally causing her to suffer from a two per cent disability as evaluated in a court-ordered medical report.
“The victim was with her husband when he asked her for her mobile phone and opened WhatsApp, and saw text messages between her and a colleague at work,” read the verdict.
“He grew enraged at what he saw and asked her to go into their bedroom with him, as their children and the domestic worker were with them at the time.
“As soon as they were alone, he assaulted her, slapping her twice on her left ear.
“After the attack, she suffered from pain, nausea and ringing in her ear.
“When she went to the hospital, she discovered that there was a hole in her eardrum, along with a fracture in her skull. Doctors also found that she suffered from partial hearing loss.”
Following her visit to the hospital, the victim reported the co-pilot to the police.
He admitted to allegations of domestic violence in both Public Prosecution questioning and before judges at court.
During the trial, however, the woman appeared at court and withdrew her complaint and any personal claims against the defendant.
The man’s lawyers attempted to smear the wife, claiming that the husband was driven to commit the brutal assault because of her provocation, but judges completely rejected this argument.
“The court finds that the evidence against the defendant is powerful, and paints an accurate picture of reality,” the ruling read.
“The defendant has committed all of the crimes he was charged with, and defence claims that the criminal case should be dismissed due to the settlement are baseless.
“The victim’s withdrawal does not affect the case at hand, nor the charges, and the case does not end as an effect of it.
“Nevertheless, when considering sentencing, the court keeps in mind the accused’s personal circumstances and the family’s well-being.
“Given that the defendant has no prior offences on record, the court believes he will not commit such a crime again, so it rules to suspend the sentence.”
Should the man lose any appeals he lodges against the guilty conviction, he will be jailed after three years.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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