Ex-husband jailed for damaging house

BOGOR (JP): The Bogor District Court sentenced a man to four months in jail yesterday for damaging a house belonging to his former wife in Kampung Sugutamu of Bakti Jaya village.

Presiding judge Martini said the defendant, Adi Widodo, 29, was proven guilty for damaging Surya Dwiastuti's house on several occasions between 1990 and 1997.

Martini lightened Adi's sentence since the defendant had never committed a crime and promised to improve his behavior.

Prosecutor Amik Wulandari earlier asked the court to sentence the defendant to six years in jail and charged Adi under Article 406 of the Criminal Code.

Surya, 26, said outside the court that she was unhappy during her marriage with Adi.

"He often blackmailed my rich grandfather. If we refused to meet his demands, he angrily destroyed anything he found in the house," she said.

Surya said she never turned her husband into the police because he threatened to kill her.

But she then reported Adi to the police after he divorced her in the middle of last year.

Besides yesterday's sentence, the defendant will also face a trial later for blackmailing Surya. (24/jun)