Nwicker60
03-Feb-15, 20:10
Husband alleged to have told estranged wife's boyfriend - "You're a dead man" court is told
TROUBLE flared when a Thurso woman visited her estranged husband in an attempt to make progress on various issues following their separation.
Lynn Cardosi, 44, claimed in court that businessman Brian Cardosi refused to talk about it and assaulted her boyfriend Robert Grace when he intervened.
The incident is alleged to have taken place at the home of the accused Cardosi and his girlfriend, at 7 Brabster Street, Thurso. Businessman Cardosi, 51, denies punching Mr Grace repeatedly.
Mrs Cardosi, who described herself as a student and part owner of a nightclub, said that she had decided to visit her husband on August 12, last year, because repeated attempts to make contact with him had failed. She wanted to discuss the sale of their family home and other financial matters and knew that Cardosi would be at 7 Brabster Street or at the nightclub.
The accused was in the garden at Brabster Street. Mrs Cardosi said she began to question him in a bid to progress matters. Mr Grace remained in the street.
Mrs Cardosi said that the accused refused to answer her questions and said he would only deal with matters through a solicitor or a mediator. Cardosi went in to his house and opened the door after she had repeatedly knocked and banged on it.
Mrs Cardosi said she applied a foot and a hand to stop her husband closing the door and when on: "Rob ( Mr Grace) thought I was going to get stuck and came to help me. We managed to keep the door open but when Brian saw Rob he shouted to him 'You have just signed your death warrant...you are a dead man'. There as a scuffle in the hallway during which both men fell to the floor and they ended up outside fighting. Brian was pushing Rob away. Rob was trying to defend himself. Brian punched him in the face, I don't know how many time but more than once. They were shouting at each other before Brian went back into his house again."
Mrs Cardosi added that Mr Grace and herself went straight round to Thurso police station to report the assault.
Cross-examined by solicitor Chris Munro for the accused, Mrs Cardosi agreed that she was frustrated by her husband non-coperation on the conveyancing of the house and other financial issues. Mr Grace had accompanied her on the visit to Cardosi's home "in case anything happened."
Mrs Cardosi admitted that she became "very angry" when her husband wouldn't answer any of her queries. Commenting on a suggestion by Mr Munro that she could simply have left, she replied that she had been trying to get answers from her husband for some time. I was pressing him and he didn't like what I was asking about. He was getting very agitated."
Asked how the accused had come by a burst lip, Mrs Cardosi suggested he might have come into contact with a radiator when he fell in his house.
Mr Munro referred Mrs Cardosi to the statement she had given to the police that afternoon. In it she stated that the accused and Mr Grace had grabbed each other and traded punches.
Mr Munro put it to Mrs Cardosi: "Do you accept Mr Grace punched the accused?".
Mrs Cardosi replied that it was possible but added that Mr Grace had had an operation to his hand and was not able to make a fist. She maintained that Mr Grace had simply held up his hands to his face to defend himself against blows being administered by Brian Cardosi.
The trial will resume on April 1.
TROUBLE flared when a Thurso woman visited her estranged husband in an attempt to make progress on various issues following their separation.
Lynn Cardosi, 44, claimed in court that businessman Brian Cardosi refused to talk about it and assaulted her boyfriend Robert Grace when he intervened.
The incident is alleged to have taken place at the home of the accused Cardosi and his girlfriend, at 7 Brabster Street, Thurso. Businessman Cardosi, 51, denies punching Mr Grace repeatedly.
Mrs Cardosi, who described herself as a student and part owner of a nightclub, said that she had decided to visit her husband on August 12, last year, because repeated attempts to make contact with him had failed. She wanted to discuss the sale of their family home and other financial matters and knew that Cardosi would be at 7 Brabster Street or at the nightclub.
The accused was in the garden at Brabster Street. Mrs Cardosi said she began to question him in a bid to progress matters. Mr Grace remained in the street.
Mrs Cardosi said that the accused refused to answer her questions and said he would only deal with matters through a solicitor or a mediator. Cardosi went in to his house and opened the door after she had repeatedly knocked and banged on it.
Mrs Cardosi said she applied a foot and a hand to stop her husband closing the door and when on: "Rob ( Mr Grace) thought I was going to get stuck and came to help me. We managed to keep the door open but when Brian saw Rob he shouted to him 'You have just signed your death warrant...you are a dead man'. There as a scuffle in the hallway during which both men fell to the floor and they ended up outside fighting. Brian was pushing Rob away. Rob was trying to defend himself. Brian punched him in the face, I don't know how many time but more than once. They were shouting at each other before Brian went back into his house again."
Mrs Cardosi added that Mr Grace and herself went straight round to Thurso police station to report the assault.
Cross-examined by solicitor Chris Munro for the accused, Mrs Cardosi agreed that she was frustrated by her husband non-coperation on the conveyancing of the house and other financial issues. Mr Grace had accompanied her on the visit to Cardosi's home "in case anything happened."
Mrs Cardosi admitted that she became "very angry" when her husband wouldn't answer any of her queries. Commenting on a suggestion by Mr Munro that she could simply have left, she replied that she had been trying to get answers from her husband for some time. I was pressing him and he didn't like what I was asking about. He was getting very agitated."
Asked how the accused had come by a burst lip, Mrs Cardosi suggested he might have come into contact with a radiator when he fell in his house.
Mr Munro referred Mrs Cardosi to the statement she had given to the police that afternoon. In it she stated that the accused and Mr Grace had grabbed each other and traded punches.
Mr Munro put it to Mrs Cardosi: "Do you accept Mr Grace punched the accused?".
Mrs Cardosi replied that it was possible but added that Mr Grace had had an operation to his hand and was not able to make a fist. She maintained that Mr Grace had simply held up his hands to his face to defend himself against blows being administered by Brian Cardosi.
The trial will resume on April 1.