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AN East Trinidad man has been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour after a jury found him guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm stemming from an attack on a woman inside his home last year.

Justice Nalini Singh imposed the sentence on David Pharai last week after the court accepted that he assaulted the woman - who was nude and in a vulnerable state - moments after she exited a shower at his residence. The incident occurred in the early hours of May 12, 2024.

The evidence showed that Pharai and the woman had been socialising and consuming alcohol before returning to his home. After she showered, Pharai removed the towel she was using, pushed her onto his bed and struck her several times about the face while shouting obscenities. She eventually escaped and sought help from a neighbour, who assisted her in contacting the police.