A previous post discussed the way a man responded when he was told by a judge he would have to pay child support. He and his estranged wife were in the middle of a divorce hearing when he attacked her and beat her over the issue of child support.
Just recently he had another court appearance in which the judge ordered he be held in jail without bond for aggravated battery. The courtroom outburst may now cost the man his ability to see his children; if convicted he may spend the next 15 years in prison.
The incident occurred after the man was told he would have to pay child support and would have scheduled visitation with his children. He became very angry and began to beat his estranged wife. He was restrained by deputies who used a stun gun to stop the assault.
The woman suffered serious injuries including a broken nose and a fractured jaw during the attack. She was hospitalized for bleeding and swelling of the brain.
The woman testified that her relationship with the man was marred with incidents of domestic violence at least twice a month. She also reported receiving threatening text messages from her husband after the two separated. She told the judge that she was afraid for her life after the violent outburst in court.
The husband’s attorney argued before the judge that the man was not a danger to his wife because the attack was the result of an extremely emotional moment that should be considered an isolated incident.
Calling attention to questions about the woman’s safety, the judge issued the no-bond order, sending the man to jail to await a hearing on the assault charge. There is no information at this point about the impact this charge will have on the divorce and custody proceedings.
Source: Orlando Sentinel online, “No bond for man accused of beating wife at divorce hearing,” Tonya Alanez, 06 June 2011
