By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

A MAN was sentenced to 40 days of imprisonment, pleading guilty to the offense of assault and battery.
Tebwaara Binauea, who was charged for assaulting his wife, appeared for a change of plea hearing with his counsel, Assistant Public Defender Kelley Butcher, on Tuesday.
Binauea admitted violating the terms and conditions of his probation in another criminal case.
Assistant Attorney General John Aguon represented the government and agreed to dismiss the other charge in exchange for Binauea’s guilty plea.
Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja accepted the plea and sentenced Binauea to one year of imprisonment, all suspended except for 60 days for each count to run concurrently.
Binauea was given credit for 20 days of time already served in jail — from Sept. 16 to Oct. 5, 2006.
Binauea will report to the Department of Corrections on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. to serve the remaining sentence and he will be released on March 17 at 6 p.m.
He was placed on supervised probation for a period of one year and was ordered to pay a fine of $100 and a $25 assessment fee.
Binauea will also pay a probation fee in the amount of $100 payable within 10 months.
He will perform 160 hours of community work service at a minimum rate of 10 hours per month.
His review hearing was set for June 26 at 1:30 p.m.
Binauea was charged with two counts of assault and battery for beating up his wife on Sept. 15, 2006.
According to the prosecution, Binauea “put his hands on his wife’s mouth and pulled it very hard in the presence of their children.”