Bail for man accused of breaking wife's nose

A man charged with breaking his wife's nose in a domestic argument has been released on bail after a court was told that he had been attacked by her.

The 49-year-old accused from Fgura appeared before Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona earlier today, charged with attacking and grievously injuring his wife on Saturday morning in their Fgura home.

Prosecuting police inspector Hubert Cini exhibited a medical report certifying that the woman had suffered a broken nose. A protection order was requested. 

Defence Lawyer Stefano Filletti informed the court that his client was contesting the charges.  The couple had been married for 21 years and there had never been any prior reports of accusations of domestic violence against the husband. 

The wife had attacked the accused and had come off second best, the lawyer said, pointing out that she had, in the past, been admitted to Mount Carmel hospital for treatment of an unspecified condition.

She had been trying to provoke a physical confrontation for some time, the defence argued.

The defence’s request for bail was upheld against a personal guarantee of €2,000.

The accused was also ordered to sign a bail book once weekly. The court also placed the woman under a protection order, prohibiting the accused from approaching the matrimonial home.