A man who was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine or serve six months imprisonment when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

He is Orville Harriott who pleaded guilty but told Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey that he could explain what happened on the day in questioned.

Allegations are that on November 11, about 10 p.m., Harriott and the complainant had an argument when he held her by her feet and threw her on the floor causing the complainant to bleed from the nose.

However, Harriott who is denying the allegations told RM Pusey that he only hit the complainant on her hand in an effort to defend himself.

"Mi jus hit her on her hand because she bite me on my hand and scratch up mi face," Harriott told the court.