Woman acquitted of assaulting estranged husband

A 36-year-old woman from Sliema has been acquitted of assaulting her estranged husband after a criminal court ruled that there is insufficient evidence and several discrepancies between the victim’s testimony and the initial police report.

The court, presided by Magistrate Neville Camilleri, heard that on 30 June 2012, the husband went to pick up his children from the accused’s home in Triq Leone, Sliema.

In his testimony, the husband told the court that upon arriving in Sliema, he told his estranged wife to take their daughter to hospital, claiming that his previous requests were ignored.

He also stated that at some point during the incident, the accused took exception to his request and assaulted him.

“She pulled my hair, broke my sunglasses and threw the near my son, and tried to take my car keys,” he said, adding that he then filed a police report.

In its decree, the court noted that in his police report, the victim did not state that she broke his sunglasses or that she pulled his hair. Conversely, the police report merely stated that the accused only grabbed her husband’s sunglasses and threw them on the car seat.

Consequently, the court acquitted the woman of assaulting her husband and of damaging his sunglasses.

Inspectors Jesmond Micallef and Jason Francis Sultana prosecuted.