Father admits to throwing mug at teenage son during row

A father has admitted to grievously injuring his son with a mug in a domestic row.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras heard police inspector Roderick Agius explain how the man, who is not being named on the orders of the court, threw a mug at his son during an argument yesterday.

The teenager, who appeared in court this afternoon, required butterfly stitches to his face as a result.

The man was charged with grievous bodily harm, insulting or threatening the boy beyond the limits of provocation and breaching the peace.

Lawyer Victor Bugeja told the court that the man would be pleading guilty. The magistrate made no bones about the fact that this plea could land him in prison, but the accused affirmed his admission.

The Court appointed a probation officer to compile a report on the case and issued a protection order in favour of the son. The order prohibits the accused from contacting his son for a one year period. The Court explained to the accused that if he breached this order, he faced a fine of up to €2,000 and prison. The Court however, also admonished the son, telling him to avoid talking back to his dad. “What happened shouldn't have happened, but we must also prevent this from happening again.”

Bail was granted against a personal guarantee of €7,000 pending the compilation of the probation officer's report. The court did not demand a deposit as the man is unemployed.