Jamaican man denies assaulting his wife

The freedom of a Jamaican man appears to rest solely with his wife who he claims is Barbadian and is accused of assaulting.

Despite being married since September 5, 2018, Derief Austin Noble, of 2nd Avenue Flint Hall, St Michael does not have a certificate to prove his union and has no official legal status in Barbados.

The 37-year-old self-employed man appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court this afternoon charged that he assaulted Kaydene Clarke on May 15 occasioning her actual bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty to that charge as well as the allegation that he assaulted Donna Phillips, his wife, on June 9 occasioning her actual bodily harm.

Following the not guilty pleas an immigration officer informed Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant that Noble arrived in the country on January 22, 2016 and requested a 14-day stay but was granted six months. However, he remained in the country illegally when the time expired and had not made any applications to regularise his status. The officer said that Noble had informed her that he was married to a Barbadian but did not produce any documents to substantiate that statement.

His lack of status prompted Station Sergeant Cameron Gibson to raise an objection to his bail.

Noble’s attorney Mohia Ma’at told the court that his client was “indeed a married man here in Barbados” and was married at a church in St Andrew.

“It is quite simple to ascertain if they are married. That marriage . . . places him in a unique position as it relates to his status. He is not someone that overstayed,” the lawyer submitted.

Magistrate Cuffy-Sargeant pointed out that Noble had been in the country illegally before his marriage last year.

“And having been married to the complainant he did nothing to regularise his status,” the magistrate said before remanding Noble to Dodds until July 11.