Charges brought against St. Tomasz, accused of strangling and hitting his former partner during a domestic dispute

ST. THOMAS – A man will now face assault charges after he reportedly attacked his girlfriend when she refused to sleep with him.

At the beginning of September, a resident of St. John went to the police and reported being assaulted by a man she had been dating for the past six months.

The woman said that on September 5, Mohammed Ahmad asked her to go to St. Thomas to meet him because he sprained his leg. When she got there, he admitted that his story wasn’t true. He then told her that he needed to visit his mother, so the pair set out to meet her.

On the way, the woman said she told Ahmad to drive on a side road because she knew he was not allowed to meet or be seen with her. However, according to reports, he saw his father in the Agawa area and began to panic. His then-girlfriend said they eventually decided to return to his apartment, where he dropped her off and left to stay with his mother again.

When Ahmad returned home, the woman said she was lying on the couch. He tried to lie on top of her and began pulling her hair forcefully as she tried to push him off of her. She told police that she warned her then-boyfriend that she would bite him because it hurt her and told him to stop.

When he refused to stop, the woman stated that she had indeed bit Ahmad, pushed him away and got up from the couch. This angered her ex, who reportedly pushed her onto the bed, sat on top of her and began choking her with both hands, verbally abusing her and spitting in her face.

Despite her saying she wanted to go home and that she could call one of several family members to pick her up, Ahmad instead persuaded her to accompany him to the store for water. However, she was not allowed to take her bag with her when they left.

After returning to his apartment, Ahmad asked his then-girlfriend to lie in bed with him. She refused and he became angry once again. The woman told police he hid the key under the mattress and when she found it, she went to the door. This reportedly prompted Ahmad to tear open a bag containing the woman’s belongings and throw a bottle of hair gel at her.

He reportedly started punching his ex on her arms, breasts and stomach. When she threatened to call the police, he reportedly told her to keep going because she would be dead by the time they arrived. Fearing for her safety, she did not call the police.

Ahmad continued the assault, and when the woman again threatened to report the harassment, he reportedly began recording himself, highlighting the scratches he received while attempting to defend himself. When the woman finally managed to leave the apartment, she said she called a friend after leaving to report the situation. While doing so, she told police that Ahmad approached her in a vehicle, accusing her of being dramatic and begging her to get in.

The woman said she rejected his requests and instead waited with a friend until she could get a boat back to St. John.

After this incident, the relationship ended. The woman told police she stopped answering Ahmad’s calls and he instead started calling her from other numbers. He also began walking past her workplace and smiling at her, which she told police made her feel uncomfortable. The woman said she spent several nights away from her home fearing for her safety.

On October 23, Ahmad reported to the VIPD Domestic Violence Unit. After refusing to testify, he was arrested and charged with simple assault, second-degree assault and disturbing the peace, all as domestic violence crimes. He was remanded in custody awaiting an opinion regarding a hearing regarding his rights.

Last Friday, Judge Paula Norkaitis found probable cause in court to sustain all charges against Ahmad and set bail at $1,000. He now must report weekly by phone to his probation officer and is prohibited from consuming alcohol or other controlled substances. Ahmad is now banned from having illegal contact with his ex-girlfriend and cannot visit her workplace unless he is conducting legal business.

His next court appearance is scheduled for November 8.