Separating couple warned of arrest over threat report

A man had to admit to using threatening and rude language towards his wife as they argued over the phone.

The man was charged for the threat, and appeared in the dock before Magistrate Carol Peralta this morning, and his wife took the witness stand to sustain her claim that he threatened her as they argued over access to the children.

As she sobbed while giving evidence, the wife said that her husband accused her of provoking him, and added that he told her "I hit you to hurt you before, but this time I'll hit you to kill you."

The woman cried as she stated that she still loved her husband and said that she felt humiliated to see the man she loved to show photographs of himself kissing her colleague posted on his Facebook page.

Things took a bizarre twist from here on, when Magistrate Peralta called the husband to the witness stand.

The husband however was interrupted by the Magistrate as soon as he denied he threatened his wife.

Peralta stopped the husband from continuing his deposition and ordered that the couple be arrested and investigated for perjury, stating that perjury is punishable with a one year jail term.

He suspended the order however to give the couple a few minutes to decide on which was the right version.

Summoned again to the witness stand, the husband changed his version and admitted to threatening his wife.

The woman also withdrew the claim against her husband.

At this point Magistrate Pertalta revoked the arrest order and summoned the couple's lawyers to his bench. After a brief discussion, the husband was warned that he was to speak to his wife only on matters related to their children and their maintenance.