WESTERN BUREAU — Paul Bennett, a 31 year-old father of 19 children with another on the way, was granted bail in the sum of $190,000 when he appeared in court Tuesday for assaulting one of his 17 baby mothers and for the rape of another woman.

On July 9 last year, Bennett, of Cambridge, St James, allegedly assaulted his girlfriend, Janice Beckford, after she accused him of having other women.

It has been alleged that two days after Bennett hit her in the face and head and tossed her from the verandah into the yard, forcing her to seek refuge in a neighbour’s house.

She later made a report to the police and Bennett was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm. But in court Tuesday, Bennett’s attorney, Dalton Reid, said that Beckford now intended to drop the charges against her boyfriend.

However, Resident Magistrate Valerie Stephens instructed that Beckford tell the court of her intentions when the matter was brought back before the court on April 17.

Meanwhile, it is alleged that on March 16, Bennett went to a shop in Montpellier where he saw the 28 year-old woman he is alleged to have raped. She reportedly accepted Bennett’s offer to take her home to Anchovy at about 11:30 pm.

He later dropped off some passengers he had in his car and on reaching the intersection of the Montpellier, instead of taking her home he diverted to nearby bushes where he is alleged to have sexually assaulted her twice. During the ordeal he also reportedly held a knife to her neck and used it to cut her on the hand as she attempted to free herself. In addition to the cut, the complainant reportedly received bruises to her shoulders and her side from the accused.

When she got home she told her boyfriend of the incident and a report was made to the police the following day. Bennett was identified on the Sunday and was later charged with rape.

However in court Tuesday Bennett had another story.

“No rape took place,” his attorney Dalton Reid told the court, saying that Bennett had promised the complainant money in exchange for her services. “But at the end of the day, the accused told the complainant that he did not have any money but that he would give her the money the following day.”

He said this angered the complainant and that she brandished the knife. It was during a struggle that Reid said ensued she was cut by the knife and was also bruised.

Having informed the court of his client’s 19 dependents and of the circumstances of the rape, according Bennett, Reid asked that the court grant him bail.

He was granted bail in the sum of $40,000 in the assault matter and bail in the sum of $150,000 in the rape matter.

He is to return to court on April 17 when both cases will again be mentioned.