Zebbug man charged with assaulting partner

A man from Zebbug has been remanded in custody after allegedly attacking his partner in a domestic incident early yesterday morning.

Inspector Roderick Agius arraigned the 50-year-old before magistrate Neville Camilleri this morning on charges of grievous bodily harm, insulting and threatening the woman, breaching the peace, obstructing a public officer in the execution of his duties, the aggravated theft of a bunch of keys and recidivism. The offences are described as having taken place at 1:00am in Triq Hal Luqa in Qormi yesterday. 

The court was requested to impose a protection order, in favour of the victim, on the accused.

Magistrate Camilleri was shown a medical certificate issued by the casualty department at Mater Dei Hospital which indicated that the woman had suffered a grievous injury to her nasal bone.

The accused, a furniture sprayer, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Defence lawyer Patrick Valentino requested bail.

Inspector Agius objected to bail on the grounds that the foster parents, who had been entrusted with the care of the couple's three children on the strength of a care order, had been present during the incident. “The prosecution fears that if bail is granted the accused, who knows these people well, will approach them.”

He had already done this once, the inspector explained. Besides this, there were also a number of witnesses, including the alleged victim, who were still to testify.

During interrogation, the accused had confirmed that he had beaten his wife before, “whilst drunk,” but it appeared that the woman had previously chosen to forgive him, the inspector said.

Valentino pointed out that aside from the accusation of grievous bodily harm, the charges consisted of contraventions. “The court can see that the woman is not grievously injured,” he said. Indeed, the woman, who stood at the back of the courtroom throughout the sitting, did not appear to have visible facial injuries.

The court, after hearing the defence and prosecution's submissions on bail, seeing the exhibited documents and the accused's criminal record, and in view of the grievous bodily harm and recidivism charges, denied bail and ordered the accused be remanded in custody.

Magistrate Camilleri urged the prosecution, however, to present all of its evidence at the next sitting after the case is assigned, so as to allow the assigned magistrate to grant bail.