John Culatto
THE Supreme Court locked up a man for two years who hit a woman so hard with a takeaway container he knocked out her front teeth.
Anthony Gilbert, 47, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment after he locked her up in a home and took away her mobile phone to stop her calling for help.
The domestic abuse unfolded at around 10pm on April 29 last year, the court heard.
Gilbert first smashed out the woman’s front teeth with the takeaway container.
She then tried to leave the home but the domestic abuser locked the front door to imprison her.
He even took her mobile phone to stop her calling the police.
She then stayed at the home all that night until the next morning when she asked to leave once again.
Finally, Gilbert let her out but not before following her to the bus stop and stealing her mobile phone.
The victim then caught the next bus and reported the crime soon after.
Police officers arrested Gilbert that same day.
Prosecutors at first charged him with Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) and Theft but later withdrew them in court.
Judge Restano sentenced Gilbert to 27 months in prison but reduced it to 24 months after his guilty plea.
The Royal Gibraltar Police’s Domestic Abuse Team urged any victims to report crimes to them ‘in the strictest confidence’.
They can either phone 20067001, email or whatsapp the crime on 54086014.
Since the conviction, Minister of Justice Samantha Sacramento has further firmed up domestic abuse legislation.
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