causing grievous bodily harm to his wife Antoinette.

Trott also pleaded guilty on Monday to assault causing bodily harm to emergency medical technician Monroe Darrell and wilfully damaging Mr.

Darrell's eyeglasses.

All the offences occurred on May 25.

Trott, 40, of Farm Lane, Warwick, remained free on bail and is to be sentenced in Magistrates' Court on December 11. He "may or may not'' go to prison, said acting Magistrate the Wor. Kenneth Brown, who asked for a social inquiry report.

In delivering his judgment yesterday on the most serious assault charge, Mr.

Brown said he found Mrs. Trott's account of a fight between the couple much more credible than her husband's story.

The couple, whose relationship had spanned eight years but had been married a little more than one year, were "having serious difficulties'', and Mrs.

Trott was not speaking to her husband at the time of the assault, Mr. Brown said.

Trott had been drinking and returned home about 11 p.m.

"He wanted understandably to discuss their problems, but got no response from her,'' Mr. Brown said.

An argument ensued, which escalated into a physical struggle. Mrs. Trott said her husband pressed a piece of broken furniture against her neck and forced her to the ground. She was using all her strength to get out from under him and straighten her leg when "her leg suddenly snapped''.

Trott's assault then stopped.

Trott admitted there was a struggle between the couple "during which they both fell down in an awkward way'', but he denied he was present when his wife broke her leg.

He had moved into the bedroom by then, and believed she broke her leg either "by stamping her feet on the ground'', or by catching her leg on the couch.

"I find both these scenarios as to how the leg was broken fanciful in the extreme,'' Mr. Brown said. "I'm convinced this is something he's made up as an explanation to exculpate himself from blame.'' Trott was unlawfully assaulting his wife, so although he did not intend to break her leg, he was guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm, the Magistrate said.

Earlier, Trott pleaded guilty to the two other charges.

When Mr. Darrell, an EMT, arrived from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and began attending to Mrs. Trott, her husband became "verbally abusive'' and hit Mr. Darrell in the face. Mr. Darrell's face was bruised, and his $350 glasses were broken.

Trott, who is represented by lawyer Mr. Juan Wolffe, was then restrained by Police officers.