A case that came before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday highlights some of the reasons why people stay in abusive relationships, especially when the abuser is the breadwinner in the home.
A Vermont woman, Keziah Bascombe, told Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett that she wants her husband’s repeated abuse of her to stop, but was adamant that she did not want him to go to prison, not even for one week.
According to Mrs. Bascombe’s account, her husband, David Bascombe, has abused her repeatedly for years, including over the 15 years that they have been married.
After filing several reports with police, she decided to follow through on the case filed in connection with his abuse in April, which left her hospitalised after her husband pushed her to the ground, causing her to hit her chest and head and lose consciousness.
She told the court she wants the abuse to stop and that her husband needs to be taught how a man should treat his wife.
Mrs. Bascombe also wanted the court to punish her husband but said she did not want him to be sent to prison, not even for one week.
In the end, Burnett decided to remand the abusive husband to prison for two weeks while he decides his sentence.
Mr. Bascombe told the court that he was guilty of a charge that on April 13, at Vermont, in circumstances likely to cause a breach of the peace, he made threats to his wife, Keziah Bascombe, to wit,” Ah go kill yo. Ah go kill yo’ dead.”
He also pleaded guilty to a charge that on the same date and at the same location, he assaulted his wife, by pushing her to the ground, occasioning actual bodily harm.
According to the facts presented by the prosecution, the Bascombes live together in the same house. On April 13, about 3 p.m., she washed and hung some clothes on the line then went away.
About 6 p.m. when she returned home, the clothes were still hanging on the line, so she asked her daughter why did she not take up the clothes.
Mrs. Bascombe got annoyed and struck her daughter in the back with her hand.
Mr. Bascombe, on seeing this, got annoyed and pushed his wife to the ground, and threatened to kill her.
The matter was reported to the police resulting in Mr. Bascombe being charged.
Mrs. Bascombe told the court that even before they got married, Mr. Bascombe continually ill-treated her, and now treats her as if he does not love her.
“People don’t treat animals like how he does treat me,” said the woman who speaks as if she has a speech impairment.
She told the court her husband needs to stand up as a man, adding that she doesn’t want her children to treat their spouses that way when they grow up.
The woman further complained that her husband curses for everything, and bad mouths her with his relatives.
She said she does not want her husband to be imprisoned because he is the breadwinner, but she wants the abuse to stop.
Mr. Bascombe has been working with the Central Water and Sewerage Authority as a labourer for a year and a half.
His wife said:
“The reason I bring him here, let him learn manners and respect. He needs warning and he needs counselling.”
The magistrate commented that those matters are never easy and are “sometimes depressing”.
He asked Mrs. Bascombe if she would want her husband to go to prison for one week to teach him a lesson and she said no.
“He is my husband,” the woman said but hastened to tell the court that whenever something happens in their house, her husband runs to his mother, and his family is always in their marital affairs.
Asked to comment on the case, Prosecutor Police Constable Corlene Samuel said that Mr. Bascombe had mentioned counselling.
The prosecutor told the court that it could explore the possibility of the couple going to the Family Court in this regard.
Mrs. Bascombe said she had gone to the Family Court before with the same complaint about the abuse.
The court further heard that Mrs. Bascombe attends church, while her husband does not.
Mrs. Bascombe said the Seventh-day Adventist Church cleric who performed the marriage rites no longer lives in St. Vincent.
Additionally, she had told her current religious leader, the cleric at House of Israel, a Spiritual Baptist congregation, where she now worships, about the marital problems, but it “makes no sense”.
Counsel Grant Connell, who was at the bar table but was not involved in the matter, said that many women do not cry out about the abuse they face because they accept it.
“If I was sitting there, he would not hit her again after my sentence,” the lawyer said.
“If you can go to jail for compressed bush–” said the lawyer, an advocate for the legalisation of marijuana, in reference to that plant.
Mrs. Bascombe told the court that she was planning to move out from their marital home and would go looking for rented quarters after the court proceedings.
‘he will kill you!’
The woman said that after her husband pushed her down, she had “12 drips connected to her”, a reference to being given fluids intravenously in hospital.
“You are taking all that abuse and telling me not to punish him. Listen to me, he will kill you!” the magistrate told the woman.
Mrs. Bascombe said she wanted her husband to be punished but did not want him to go to jail.
Asked how she would survive if her husband were out of her life for a while, Mrs. Bascombe asked if the magistrate meant if her husband were in jail.
She said she did not know.
At this point, the prosecutor commented, “If he dies, what happens? – God forbid.”
The magistrate then told Mr. Bascombe that he is minded placing him on remand for two weeks until he makes up his mind about the sentence.
What about my side?
However, at this point, Mr. Bascombe complained that the magistrate had not heard to his account of what happened.
The magistrate told him that he had already pleaded guilty to the charges but allowed him to speak.
In his comments to the court, Mr. Bascombe said that after washing the clothes, his wife went to her sister’s and the rain came, wetting them again.
He said that when his wife returned home, she called their daughter and “and let go a hard thump in her back”.
The man said that when he rebuked his wife and accused her of abusing the child, Mrs. Bascombe thumped their daughter again and this is when he pushed her, causing her to fall.
Mr. Bascombe was, however, unable to say with what force he pushed his wife.
“You were unconscious for a while, it seems,” the magistrate told Mrs. Bascombe, as he reviewed the medical report.
“CT scan was ordered, loss of consciousness,” he further said, quoting the report.
But Mrs. Bascombe contested her husband’s version of the events. She said her husband pushed her as she was going outside and that she was on the ground for a while.
She said that when she came to, she saw her husband standing over her, saying he would kill her, and she heard his brother shouting at him, telling him to leave her alone.
Mrs. Bascombe told the court that her husband cannot be trusted, adding that their daughter is closer to him than to her.
Ephesians 5:22-24 (New Testament)
22 Wives, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord.
23 The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church people. The church is his body and he saved it.
24 Wives should obey their husbands in everything, just as the church people obey Christ.
And did the bible says husband must abuse their wife’s?????
Exactly! the bible never say husbands should abuse his wife. The men them now days just evil and wicked. They need to be thought a lesson for christ sake. Women are not their children for them to beat on. A woman should never submit to an abusive husband…Never!!! What kind of example he setting for his own daughter, that it’s ok for a man to abuse her. No way. These Men have to realize their mothers and sisters are also women how will they feel some one beating on their mother like that. That’s not a way a woman submits to her husband. That’s why the world so corrupt, because foolish men interprets the bible to their own beliefs. The bible also stated that husbands should love their wives not abuse them.
This is my aunt yo dump ass, did you read the same thing I just read, this guy was abusing this woman for years and you talking about wives obey your husband, what about husband love your wife like christ love the church and how about 17Proverbs 18-30 whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour from the lord…..so before you go on Google and look up thing you don’t know read your bible and understand it.
Wives obey your husband! Does obey your husband means him beating you. You probably go to church where they teach men to beat their spouse. Go find something better to do with yourself….smh the ignorance.
C. Ben-David. Unless you are completely illiterate, please go […] yourself with that bullshit you peace of shit.
C. ben-David . You are such an illiterate fool for actually endorsing this.
What a load of BS c. ben-david. The bible was written by man. The world has moved forward, not ruled by fire and brimstone or hateful and dispicable quotes from the bible.
Any man who condones hitting a woman is not a real man that’s a bully
Wow! is all I can say. I’m a white man who lives in Canada, but I spend 3 months every winter in St Vincent, so I care. We have shelters for women here escaping abusive relationships. They are huge, and the women leave one abusive relationship often to form another. There are a lot of homeless men in Canada, very few homeless women. They always find someone to take care of them. We don’t hit our children anymore here. We used to, but abusive relationships still are common and very difficult. I tend to agree with women. They need equal income, so they can leave any abusive relationship, and quality education. Ironically in Ontario where I live most of the year, there are more female university graduates than males. The times, they are achanging. But wow, how does a magistrate deal with something like this?
Seems like he does not love the daughter either, he controls her. Very soon he will turn on the daughter too if she goes against his wishes. He appears as a self-conceited arrogant man who trying to live by “image”. It is men like him who suffer in their old age.God is not sleeping.
This Grant Connel always have something legal to say even though it may sound daft. If he does not have a locus standi in the matter , why should he get involved much less to be quoted. It’s this a case for mischievousness for this ganga advocate?
INCITEMENT PUNISHMENT OR DETERRENT PUNISHMENT?
The uninvited comments by the obvious ‘…unconnected and
uninvited comments by the attorney’ speaks to’…lack of professionalism.’
It amounts to ‘…an incitement to the Magistrate to impose a punishment’
that may give the defendant ‘…dreams to remember.’
.
Had the attorney been engaged to represent the defendant, he would have been
making a ‘…Plea in mitigation.’ It would most certainly not involve ‘…incarceration.’.
But Is that how the administration of justice works within the Magistracy,
and to a greater extent, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines?
That prosecutors and attorneys could just intervene or interject to
influence Magisterial decisions?
This not only appears to be ‘…counseling travesty,’ but also adjudicating
that might reasonably be likened to that obtained in ‘…Kangaroo Courts.’
Sure the learned Magistrate Rickie Burnett has the ‘…mental and adjudicating
capacity’ to determine what is ‘…Deterrent punishment;’ from ‘…Incitement
punishment.’
Good reporting. It highlights some of the ‘…shenanigans’ that seemed to be regularly
on display in some jurisdictions.
Wow!! This is no way to your wife. Seems like animals (pets) are getting more love and tender care than this lady. In North America, he will surely be out of a job even with domestic abuse allegations. Violence against women in St. Vincent has gone through the roof.
Miss lady you living in fear.the only person you should fear is god .get out of this before it’s to late.lay the man go sit down ah jail and learn a huge lesson.if that was me Lord have his mercy.i would of milk yo ass.
This is so crazy, Has anyone stop and think why he treats her like that? well in my view maybe he saw someone else he is in love with and don’t want her , but if that is the case he should let her know and let her be, look at him well dress and clean with smiles on his face and my dear sis is so sad, but still in love with him. My dear we are not living with you and you are the one know what best for you, i hope he will be honest with you and love you the way you love him. wishing you the best and hope you find comfort . My dear i feel your pain.
The pictures are indeed telling a very sad story(but looks can be deceiving). I too hope that these people work it out respectfully, not like this.
A lot of people nowa days are missing out on the fact that in everything we are to put God first that’s why Notting is stable these days , that’s why people having somamy problems in there relationship, because God is missing in there lIves . Without the lord jesus Christ notthing will work out well as it is sopposed to, the wife soposed to comit herselves to her husband and the husband soposed to comit himself to jesus Christ and to love there wives as God love them. So in God the bible tells us that the husband are not to live bitter with there wive . If it be the case where the woman is being abused we have a God who is mighty and can solve all our problems, throught prayer in jesus Christ name, because it’s a spiritual warfare thats going on and the lord already teaches us how to fight it , when we obey God word things workout the best . The best thing is for people to put God first before all things, seek God first before marriage because we don’t what Satan is planning against us. And when we disobey God word ,we are gicong space for the enemy Satan to come in and cause confusion in our lIves, even death.
A lot of people nowa days are missing out on the fact that in everything we are to put God first that’s why Notting is stable these days , that’s why people having somamy problems in there relationship, because God is missing in there lIves . Without the lord jesus Christ notthing will work out well as it is sopposed to, the wife soposed to comit herselves to her husband and the husband soposed to comit himself to jesus Christ and to love there wives as God love them. So in God the bible tells us that the husband are not to live bitter with there wive . If it be the case where the woman is being abused we have a God who is mighty and can solve all our problems, throught prayer in jesus Christ name, because it’s a spiritual warfare thats going on and the lord already teaches us how to fight it , when we obey God word things workout the best . The best thing is for people to put God first before all things, seek God first before marriage because we don’t what Satan is planning against us. And when we disobey God word ,we are gicong space for the enemy Satan to come in and cause confusion in our lIves, even death.
There is a red flag here the wife stated that the daughter is closer to the father than her among Caribbean men its not uncommon for men to engage in incestuous relationship with their daughters so I would not be surprised if this is the case in this instance especially as the mother’s authority may have been significantly undermined over time as a direct result of the abuse by this man who happens to be the girl’s father
@Julie Bobb-Murray
I think you hit the ‘Nail right on the head.’ I was here thinking the same thing. Could this be an incestous relationship between the father and the daughter? This type of nastiness is prevalent all over the world but for our small Caribbean Diaspora it is becoming an epidemic. The child welfare agency or other should begin an investigation into this. Even so come quickly Lord.
Why are you implying that it is common for Caribbean-men to have incestuous relationships.? Where did you get this information from? In general, SVG people are a god-fearing-law-abiding people. This kind of evil is not the norm here, like elsewhere in North America and Europe. I’m not defending this abusive husband, but I think you should be careful when generalizing.
C Ben David, you are a total disgrace to all men. You are a bigger fool than this woman husband. I do agree with the magistrate . This man will eventually kill his wife. […]
Omg! Just jail this animal!
Well people I am from SVG and this is not a new thing a man beating his wife and I think blaming it on the men nowadays is just doing a disservice to all abuse women present and past. I believe no matter what the woman says this man should be jailed we can’t have victims dictating what sentences should be. Under no circumstance should it ever ok for a man or woman to abuse their spouses be it physically or mentally.
mr..ben david , I think you should run up and down the street shouting to any one who will listen ” I ben david is a fool’, I don’t know better because I am also ignorant. (The fool had said in his heart,There is God. . .They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Psalm 14:1 )