A court’s threat to arrest a couple so that the truth would be established, led to the husband pleading guilty, the court revoking the arrest order and the wife withdrawing her accusations.

Magistrate Carol Peralta ordered the arrest in a separation case because the witnesses were not being consistent in their testimony. It arose because of a telephone call by the husband to the wife, who reported to the police that her husband had threatened to kill her.

The wife said that when her husband telephoned her he said he was fed up of her provocations over a long time and whereas before he would beat her to cause her pain, he would now beat her to kill her. The husband denied this, the court gave him time to consider and ordered the couple’s arrest, with the husband then pleading guilty. The arrest order was withdrawn.

Magistrate Peralta ordered the husband to talk to his wife only about matters concerning their children. When informed that the husband was not paying maintenance, the court told him he could also discuss with his wife how this was going to be resolved.

The wife, crying during her testimony, said she still loved her husband, but he preferred her colleague at work. It was also very difficult for her to see on Facebook photographs of her husband kissing her colleague.