A Clearview Township man entered an in-custody plea April 15 to simple assault involving several kicks to his spouse.

However, upon hearing the Crown’s case against him, William B. Arnold, 48, then claimed he didn’t “remember all the facts alleged.”

Arnold was originally charged with assault causing bodily harm, which Crown prosecutor Enno Meijers and duty counsel Caroline Noordegraaf amended on his behalf to the lesser offence.

Among the facts read in were kicks to the arms, legs and buttocks of the victim, which resulted in topical bruises but no broken bones.

“Is he resisting what the Crown put in?” Mr. Justice Roland Harris wanted to know.

“It’s not as serious as the Crown says,” replied Noordegraaf.

“We have four to six times where he’s kicking her, including in the head. If there’s any doubt, I’ll prove the facts,” countered Meijers.

Harris ordered the guilty plea struck from the record, and remanded the case to Apr. 22 to be re-addressed.

Arnold will remain in custody to the interval.