A man who threatened to chop his wife to death, eat her and strangle her was yesterday sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, with Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool warning that threats between intimate partners cannot be taken lightly.
Delon Forde was sentenced after pleading guilty with an explanation to the offence of using threatening language towards his wife, Trishana Forde, at their home on Sunday, August 9.
The court heard that after Trishana returned home from work, Forde took her to the back of their shared home and threatened to strangle her.
Fearing for her life, Trishana fled to the police station, where she made a report.
When given an opportunity to address the court, Trishana told Magistrate Liverpool that the incident was not the first time she had experienced abusive behaviour at the hands of her husband.
She said that Forde had previously threatened to take her into their home, chop her to death and eat her so that no one would ever find her.
Trishana also told the court that she had remained with Forde after he was convicted in a causing death by dangerous driving matter and had completed his sentence. She said that after his return home, problems developed between them and his abusive behaviour towards her began.
Forde, in his explanation to the court, said that both he and his wife had used abusive language towards each other.
Visibly emotional, he told the court that he and Trishana were trying to resolve their “little issues.” He professed his love for his wife and apologised, while explaining that he had been frustrated by certain circumstances in his life.
Magistrate Liverpool, however, expressed concern that the threats described by Trishana did not appear to be a “one-time thing.”
She cautioned Forde that threats of such a nature could not be taken lightly.
“We live in a country where people sometimes lose their lives at the hands of a partner, so your threats cannot be taken lightly,” the magistrate said.
She subsequently instructed the court clerk to speak with Trishana about the options available to her, including seeking a protection order if she wished to do so.
Magistrate Liverpool noted that the offence of threatening language carries a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment. Given Forde’s guilty plea, two months were deducted from the sentence.
The magistrate nevertheless stressed that the sentence did not resolve the underlying issues between the couple and urged Trishana to take the necessary steps available to her.
Forde was ultimately sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.
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