A deemster halted the sentencing of a man who admitted domestic abuse after learning the defendant had called the victim 500 times from Jurby prison.

Cesar Teodoro Simoes Maia, aged 42, of Ramsey, initially denied the charge but changed his plea to guilty in December.

He appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday for sentencing but the case was adjourned when prosecutor Hazel Carroon said Maia had made 500 calls to the victim from prison.

Deemster Graeme Cook said he was perplexed and told the prosecution he needed more details before dealing with the case and moving to sentence.

He said: ‘I need more details about the exact number of calls made, the frequency and some of the content.

‘This is at least a significant aggravating feature but it could be a separate offence. If the police and Attorney General’s Chambers believe it is more than simply an aggravating feature then things might change.’

Mrs Carroon told the court Maia had been in an on-and-off relationship with the victim for some time.

On the evening of February 8, 2025, Maia had been staying at the victim’s house and put his alarm on snooze. When she asked him to turn it off he slapped her in the head. He left that morning but did not say if he would be spending the next night there.

Not expecting Maia to return that day, the victim locked up and went out. When she returned later that evening he came back just after midnight.

Mrs Carroon said Maia accused the complainant of locking him out and began verbally abusing her, accusing her of sleeping with others and calling her ‘the devil’.

He hit the victim, then pushed her against a window and repeatedly punched her in the head. He also tore chunks of her hair out and said he would gouge her eyes out. He also threatened to kill her if she went to the police.

Eventually the victim left the house and went to her sister’s home and the police were called.

She was examined in hospital where she was found to have suffered cuts and swelling to the face and bruising to the arms.

A neighbour told police he had heard shouting and banging that night before everything went quiet. He admitted he was concerned something may have happened.

Maia was later arrested and denied assaulting the victim, claiming she had grabbed his arm and he had merely pushed her away. He also claimed she tore her own hair out.

The case was adjourned until April 2 for further investigations to be carried out into the phone calls Maia made from prison. He was remanded in custody in the meantime.

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