A man charged with assaulting and raping his common-law wife pleaded guilty to the assault, but told the court recently that the sex was consensual.

Lance Campbell, a 31-year-old unemployed resident of Bull Bay, St. Andrew, appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The court was told that Campbell and the complainant have been in a relationship for six years and reportedly have frequent disputes. The allegations are that on the night of December 28, the two had an argument. Campbell is said to have inflicted several injuries all over the complainant's body and then forced her to have sex. He denied the latter accusation.

He is to be sentenced for assault occasioning bodily harm on February 1 and the preliminary enquiry into the rape matter is set for the same date. RM Judith Pusey also ordered Campbell to pay the complainant $25,000 as compensation. He is to make the payment on February 1.