Man stabbed by lover's husband, issued with protection order on appeal

A court has reversed a decision by the court of magistrates not to issue a protection order to a man who had been stabbed by his lover's jealous husband last Friday morning.

The Attorney General’s office had instructed the police to file the appeal from Saturday’s ruling by Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona, in which the court had held that there was no need for a protection order.
 
Judge David Scicluna gave the ruling in a case against a 38-year-old Paola man, whose name has been withheld by court order, who pleaded guilty to causing serious injury to a man whom he had found in the matrimonial bed with his wife, having returned home from work early.
 
The court was told how the lover had attacked the husband with a mug he grabbed from the bedside table. The husband retreated to the kitchen, picked up a knife and returned to the bedroom stabbing his wife’s lover in the face and hand.
 
The man’s lawyer Roberto Montalto told the judge that his client did not contest the facts but was pleading that the act was committed “in the first transport of sudden passion”, an attenuating factor to the offence, which had been brought about by the unexpected and provocational nature of the situation. He added that the accused was considering filing a criminal complaint over the mug attack.

Lawyers Kevin Valletta and Vincienne Vella appeared on behalf of the Attorney General's office.

Police inspector Spiridione Zammit prosecuted.