An Egor Magistrates’ Court in Benin, Edo, on Monday, sentenced a couple, Monday Johnson, 44, and his wife, Patience, 36, to three months imprisonment each for assaulting two women.

The Magistrate, Mrs Florence Aghedo sentenced the defendants after she found them guilty of one count charge of assault out of the two charges filed against them.

Aghedo however, gave the convicts an option to pay a fine of N5,000 each.

She also ordered the defendants to pay N10,000 to the complainant, Mrs Hope Ughabugo and her mother, Mrs Tina Omogbai as compensation.

However, the magistrate dismissed the charge of conspiracy filed against the defendants, adding that there was no trace of conspiracy as they were husband and wife.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Sgt. Daniel Ifidon told the court that the defendants committed the crime on Aug. 20, 2019, at Benin Technical Road, Benin, in Egor Magisterial District.

Ifidon said that on the fateful day, Patience unlawfully assaulted the complainant, Ughabugo by using her fist on her stomach.

“Ughabugo and her mother, Mrs Omogbai had entered a commercial tricycle at Benin Technical Junction, while Patience forcefully tried to drag Ughabugo out of the tricycle alleging that she got to the spot first.

“When Patience husband, Johnson, noticed the action of his wife and another woman, he parked his car, without asking question and joined his wife and assaulted Ughabugo’s mother by slapping her on the face.

“Johnson later took his wife away in his car. It was from the licensing office that he was traced to his place of work at Psychiatric Hospital in Benin, where he was arrested,” the prosecutor said.

Ifidon said the offence contravened the provision of sections 516 and 351 of the Criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. 11, Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, now applicable in Edo.

NAN