Justice Claudette La Bennett on Friday sentenced a husband to six years imprisonment after he confessed to beating his wife with a belt, following an argument over a missing $500.

Heralall Nookoo was indicted for the capital offence, committed on Jaiwantie Keisrulall between 19 and 20 December 1999 but pleaded guilty to the lesser count, which was accepted by the state.

State Prosecutor Simone Bullen, in her presentation, said that the main evidence which was contained in the caution statement of the accused, revealed that the accused and his wife were consuming alcohol on December 19, 1999 when his wife accused him of stealing $500, which had belonged to her.

In the document, it was stated that an argument ensued, during which he took a leather belt and dealt his wife several lashes about her body, before pushing her into a post where she struck her head.

The prosecutor said that the accused then spoke to his wife, but on not getting a response, he took her to the Port Mourant Hospital where she was refused admission because of her drunken state. He returned home and placed her in their bed and on the next day he saw her lying motionless. Bullen informed the court that the autopsy report prepared by Dr V.Brijmohan revealed that the poorly nourished woman, had multiple bruises covering her entire back, along with multiple abrasions to the right side of the face and ear, in addition to extensive bleeding to the brain.

Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford, appearing for the accused, said in mitigation that the incident was unfortunate, but occurred because they were both in a drunken stupor.

He said that his client, a father of two, tried to revive his wife by pouring the remaining contents of the bottle of white rum on her, not realizing that she had been fatally injured. On awakening the next day he realized that his once loving wife was no longer with him, became afraid and fled to a nearby school compound where an older sibling told him he was wanted by the police.

Justice La Bennett told the convict that since he had shown remorse and spoken the truth, she would impose a six-year sentence on him. Nevertheless, she advised him to desist from flogging women and consuming alcohol.