Even though she admitted to living in fear for 20 of her 25 years of marriage, Tarouba mother of two, Carol Brerton, yesterday openly forgave her weeping husband Wayne Evan Brerton for his actions.This, after the 53-year-old was convicted of maliciously wounding her two years ago at their marital home, in a cutlass attack.He was fined $5,000 or 12 months' hard labour and ordered to pay $2,500 or six weeks' imprisonment in compensation.Brerton, of La Lune, Moruga, appeared before San Fernando Fourth Court magistrate Alicia Chankar where he was found guilty of wounding his wife at their home on October 4, 2009.Chankar, in passing sentence on the former rig worker, said: "I could have sent you to jail, but sometimes that does not help. You need to pay for what you did. Incarceration does not do anything. You need to get some help. I think the greatest step is that your wife forgave you."He was given three months to pay the fine and one month to pay the compensation.Carol testified that around 4 pm, she was at home when Brerton attacked her with a cutlass and struck her on the face and left hand.Brerton, however, denied this.
He said his wife was the aggressor who attacked his mother with the cutlass and he wrested the cutlass away from her and she was cut.
"If I chop her, she would not have a hand," he testified.
Carol, who broke down in tears during her testimony, said she was living in fear for her life for 20 years.
She said: "My relationship with my husband was sad. Every night he would have something under his pillow. I was scared.
"He said he would kill me. He would chop me up. It was going on for 20 years."
Brerton, who testified in his defence, admitted that the incident at their home was a culmination of abuse. The father of two also broke down in tears as he apologised for his actions when he struck his wife during a heated argument."Carol, I'm sorry...I am very sorry," he said with his hands clasped together.He turned to their 18-year-old daughter, Carissa, who testified against him, and wept.Brerton kissed her cheek as he said: "I love you...I'm sorry."The 53-year-old admitted that he drank four days in the week.Carissa broke down in tears as she testified that her father never told her he loved her.