Father placed under probation over assault

Nigerian national Chinonso Jude Okeakpu was handed a three-year probation and fined €1,250 after being found guilty of biting and grievously injuring his estranged wife's partner Musah Karim.

In August 2012, the accused was going through marital problems with his wife Gianella-Marie Okeakpu. The father objected that his children of five and four years be in the company of his wife's partner. He was also adamant that she does not meet her partner in the presence of his children, something which his wife did against his wishes.

On the night of the incident, at around 1am, he spoke to his wife insisting that he pick up the children after work. However he discovered that the children were at Karim's residence in Qormi. He went on site and phoned his wife telling her that he was waiting outside the apartment and insisted that he take the children with him. His wife and Karim exited the apartment carrying the children.

A fight ensued between the two men. After the incident both parties filed a report at the Qormi police station.

Police officers present at the police station testified that Karim had blood on his face and hands and that he was about to faint. An ambulance was called and Karim was later certified to have suffered grievous injuries to his face and fingers.

Taking the witness stand, the medical experts explained to the court that the wound on the left side of Karim's face could have been a result of a bite mark. The same conclusion was reached regarding the wound on the victim's thumb.

The court held that there was no doubt that accused was in a very agitated state of mind and was furious when he saw his wife's partner approaching him with his child in his arms. In fact in his statement to the police, the accused said he warned the injured party to stay away from his children.

Magistrate Edwina Grima found Okeakpu guilty of insulting, threatening and grievously injuring Musah Karim. However, the magistrate continued that the accused is a father of two children who are under his care and custody and that he had committed this crime since he thought it was in his children's best interest to remove them from the presence of his wife's partner.

The accused was handed a three-year probation and fined €1,250. He was also bound to hold the peace with Musah Karim under a penalty of €1,000 for a period of one year. Inspector Roderick Agius prosecuted.