The estranged wife of a man accused of a mob beating backed his alibi in court but made it clear she was not happy about doing so.

Meredith Gilbert told an all-female jury that she and husband Kiwaun Gilbert were in each other's company all night on February 27, 2009.

That's the evening prosecutors allege that he was part of a group that beat up Temasgan Furbert in Hamilton parish, leaving him badly hurt.

When her account of events was questioned by prosecutor Robert Welling yesterday, Mrs. Gilbert replied: "I don't have to give him an alibi. Standing here is wasting my time. I don't even like the guy. I don't mean to be rude we have a child together and that's it."

Victim Mr. Furbert claims Gilbert, 23, kicked him repeatedly during the attack. It was said to have been revenge from a large group of St. George's men over a fight involving Mr. Furbert and one of their friends the night before.

However, the accused told the jury yesterday morning that he went for a meal at La Trattoria restaurant in Hamilton that night with his wife and her mother. They then went for a drive before returning home to St. George's.

His fingerprint was found on the visor of a helmet found at the scene, but he told the jury he may once have borrowed it to get a lift on a bike. He denied being at the scene.

Although he and 22-year-old medical technologist Mrs. Gilbert separated last August, he still called her as the first witness for his defence yesterday afternoon.

In answer to questions from his lawyer Allan Doughty, Mrs. Gilbert explained her current relationship with Mr. Gilbert is "not a very good one". Asked if he supports their child, she replied: "If $50 every other week is child support, then yes."

She said she and Mr. Gilbert went to La Trattoria that night with her mother, who was visiting from Florida. They arrived around 8.30 p.m and stayed for around an hour and 15 minutes. Next, she said, they drove around the city to show her mother the buildings before heading back to St. George's via a stop at Devil's Hole to pick loquats.

She estimated that they arrived home in St. George's at around 11.15 p.m.

The jury has previously heard that various calls about the attack on Mr. Furbert came into the Police between 10.43 p.m and 10.46 p.m.

Cross-examining her on her evidence, prosecutor Robert Welling suggested she had discussed her evidence with her husband before she took the stand.

"You, for whatever reason, are here to help Kiwaun Gilbert and you have got your heads together on this, haven't you?" he alleged.

But Mrs. Gilbert replied: "No, that's not correct, I have no reason to help someone who doesn't even help me."

Asked again by Mr. Welling if they had discussed the case and the evidence recently, she replied: "There's a middle person between me and Kiwaun right now because we don't speak to each other. Right now we are not friends."

Mrs. Gilbert bid a loud and exuberant "goodbye" to everyone in the courtroom after finishing her evidence, prompting trial judge Carlisle Greaves to quip to the jury: "When I grow up I want a wife like that!"

Gilbert and his co-accused, Detroy Smith, Bennett Phipps, Allan Douglas and Kaiwan Trott deny attacking Mr. Furbert and the case continues.