Man in court after domestic assault with butter knife

A domestic row that escalated out of control ended up with a man being charged with slightly injuring his partner and child with a knife.

Inspector Nikolai Sant arraigned the 40 year old machine operator, who is not being named at the court’s behest, on charges of having caused the woman to fear violence would be used against her or her family, slightly injuring her and her son, carrying arms proper during the commission of a crime against the person, breaching the peace and insulting and threatening the woman.

The inspector told magistrate Gabriella Vella how the pair had been together for 6 years, but the man had problems dealing with feelings of jealousy. The man’s partner had reported him to the police twice, the second time mentioning a knife. The son had been scratched in the second altercation.

Defence lawyer Peter Fenech said the woman wanted to forgive her partner and had asked him to help. The accused had an anger management problem and the knife in question was a butter knife, said the lawyer. The woman had gone to the Zejtun police station as she felt her partner was not in full control of himself. He was warned not to approach the woman but had gone anyway, Fenech explained.

“They argued and she felt scared of him and threatened by him so she went to the police.”

The boy was scratched with the knife as he attempted to disarm his dad.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges, listening as his lawyer admonished him and explained that he was not to approach the woman, anywhere, or he would go to jail.

A pre-sentencing report was requested to ascertain what type of treatment the accused needed.

Inspector Sant said he did not object to  bail as long as the man understood that he would go to prison if he breached any of the court-imposed conditions.

Bail was granted against a deposit of €150 and a personal guarantee of €5000 with the man being ordered to stay at his mother’s house.

He was prohibited from speaking to the woman in person or threatening her over the phone. Fenech reminded the man that that was an offence in itself which carried a €23,000 fine.