Businesswoman complains about public spousal assault

Dec 29, 2012 News

There was no Christmas for Francine Culley and her three children, a state of affairs which allegedly resulted from a violent encounter with her now estranged husband, Jermin Culley.

Francine Culley shortly after the Christmas Eve assault

Recounting an episode on Christmas Eve night, Francine Culley, the owner of Francine’s Fish Shop on Sheriff Street, said that not only was she physically assaulted but she was humiliated in front of a crowd of no less than 100 persons.
According to the woman, her move to share her dilemma with the media is to protect herself and children since police action thus far has not been satisfactory. She claims that the police are still seeking the man before any action can be taken. This is despite the fact that police officers witnessed the incident which occurred outside a popular supermarket.
“I just feel that this situation needs to be in the open, because this is the second time that he has embarrassed me like that,” said the woman as she recalled how she was physically abused.
The incident, she said, developed after Culley saw a male friend of hers driving a vehicle he (Culley) had bought for her. She said that she was at the time shopping at the city supermarket and had asked the friend to park the vehicle properly while she went to make her purchases.
Culley, she said, on seeing the man driving his vehicle, became very abusive towards him forcing the young man to exit the vehicle.
On observing what was happening Francine said that she went over to Culley who began verbally abusing her as well and soon after extended his actions to physical assault. “He start punching me and throw me down…and a crowd of people come and just close off Duncan Street,” said the still distraught woman.
As if that was not bad enough, the man proceeded to slash the two left tyres of the vehicle. The physical abuse would continue and even drew the attention of police officers who merely pleaded with Culley, who is said to be a popular business man, to cease his action. “He done tell me that nothing will come out of this because he got friends…He said he knows the President and he can pay the police,” said a still bruised Francine.
According to her, a similar incident had occurred shortly after they were married in 2010. She said that that incident stemmed from her not answering her mobile phone while shopping in another supermarket.
This, she said, resulted because her mobile phone battery had died. The man, she recalled, arrived at the supermarket a short while later and dealt her several blows about the body, insisting that she refused to answer the phone.
That incident went unreported but a year later the two decided to go their separate ways.
The latest matter was however described as “worse” by Francine who said that the incident was reported to the police.
She said, too, that the police opted to charge her for assaulting Culley. “I went and do up a statement…but he (Culley) tends to know a lot of people and I don’t know what will come of this matter. Everybody knows him; because he is this popular person nobody don’t do anything.”
But according to Francine, “All I want to do is to let people know the type of person he is….I am a businesswoman and this is the second time that he is embarrassing me in public. If I don’t take some action against this it will continue.”
Francine is the mother of three, the youngest of which is Culley’s child.