A man who was found guilty of chopping his girlfriend over a $3,500 cellphone was fined $10,000 when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

Clinton Burke, the accused man, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding when the matter was mentioned on Wednesday.

The court learnt that on May 8, the accused put down his phone at home and when he could not find it, he and the complainant became involved in an argument. During the argument, Burke, allegedly, used a machete to hit the complainant all over her body causing cuts to her hand and her head.

However, Burke said that during the argument the complainant asked her daughter for a machete and she brought a piece of board shaped like a bat. He said the complainant hit him with the board and a struggle developed and during the struggle she was cut.

The complainant denied this and said he had hit her with the machete. After listening to both sides, Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown fined the accused $10,000 or three months.