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Full Report
 | November 16, 1992 |
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A jealous former boyfriend has been cleared of forcing his cousin to fall four floors to the ground when he caught him in his ex-lover's bedroom. Alexander Ventour, 28, told the jury Mr Bernard Pierre, 27, had jumped out the window when he caught him and Miss Sonia Murray hurriedly putting their clothes on. The prosecution claimed that the pair were simply ¨ talking and Ventour had slammed the window on Mr Pierre's fingers ¨ as he clung to the window ledge, causing him to fall. But the jury accepted Ventour's version and his claim ¨ he had not smashed his way into the flat, but simply walked in. Ventour was found guilty of assaulting Miss Murray, 34, ¨ and was bound over by Judge Christopher Tyrer for two years in ¨ the sum of pnds stlg 200. Passing sentence, the judge simply said: 'This is not ¨ the place to give you advice on how to treat your girlfriend.' The court heard Ventour had a relationship with Miss ¨ Murray for five years and she had given birth to his two sons, ¨ aged four and five. When the affair ended Ventour continued to see his ¨ former lover and their children, said prosecutor Mr Keith Hornby. Miss Murray met musician Mr Pierre in August this year ¨ and he became a regular vistor to her flat in Middlesex Court, ¨ British Grove, Chiswick. 'It became the defendant's view that there was a relationship between his former girlfriend and his cousin. ¨ This caused considerable friction,' said Mr Hornby. A week before the incident Ventour hit Miss Murray so ¨ hard in the face she required four stiches, the court heard. In the early hours of September 3 this year Miss ¨ Murray was in the bedroom with Mr Pierre when Ventour walked in. 'They were there putting their clothes on,' Ventour ¨ told the court. Ventour said he did have a knife on him and there was a ¨ struggle between him and his former love, but he denied threatening either Mr Pierre or Miss Murray with the blade. He told how terrified Mr Pierre leapt out the window and ¨ plummetted 60 feet. Mr Pierre broke several ribs, fractured his arm and ¨ left a body shaped indentation in the grass. Jobless Ventour of Barnes Avenue, Southall, was ¨ cleared of aggravated burlary with intent to cause grievous ¨ bodily harm. The judge directed there was insufficient evidence to ¨ convict him of causing actual bodily harm to Miss Murray, and the ¨ jury found him guilty of the lesser offence of common assault. In addition to the bind over, Ventour was ordered to ¨ pay pnds stlg 200 prosecution costs. ENDS | |