Husband has abuse charges dismissed

Charges were dismissed Tuesday against a man falsely accused of abuse by his wife who claimed that hickeys on her neck were actually marks left when he grabbed her by the throat during a domestic dispute.

General Sessions Judge Larry Ross dismissed domestic assault charges Tuesday against Matthew Alan Ross, who was flanked at the court podium by his wife and false accuser, Ashley Ross, 19.

It was Mrs. Ross who summoned police to the couple?s home late last year, maintaining she had been attacked by her husband. At the time of the report, the woman reportedly pointed to marks on her neck, saying they were put there by her husband while he was choking her. Given the marks and her story, police took her husband to jail where he had to stay for the mandatory 12-hour cooling off period before being released.

It was a short time later Mrs. Ross called police and changed her story, admitting the marks on her neck were actually hickeys. Her admission led to her arrest for filing a false report. She entered a guilty plea to the charge this past December and has already served her five-day sentence behind bars. She remains on probation.

During her appearance Tuesday, Mrs. Ross told the judge she has served her time and did not wish to retract her present statement that the marks were actually hickeys.

The two, who were together during their appearance, asked if there would be any problem if they left together given the fact they, in addition to being man and wife, were also perpetrator and victim.

?You all just have at it,? Ross said in waving them out of court.