Żabbar man accused of attempting to murder wife with chisel

A man from Żabbar has denied stabbing and attempting to kill his wife with a chisel in a domestic violence incident.

Police inspectors Darryl Farr and Sherona Buhagiar, assisted by prosecutor Kaylie Bonett from the office of the Attorney General told magistrate Rachel Montebello how on 14 January, Żabbar police had been informed that a woman had been stabbed.

Officers went to scene and found her on the floor surrounded by three men. Two of the men were later identified as the victim’s children and the other man as her husband.

The court was told that statements were taken from the men, with the children telling the police that they had seen their father attacking their mother with a chisel. They had added that their father suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and so the accused was initially taken to Mount Carmel hospital.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia was carrying out an inquiry into the incident, inspector Farr said. After his discharge from the hospital, the accused was questioned by police and did not answer any questions, the inspector added.

The court warned the accused that he was being charged with a serious offence, informing him that he had the right to remain silent and that anything he said could be brought as evidence against him.

The accused, who told the court he worked as a technical officer, pleaded not guilty.

Both prosecution and defence asked the court to order a ban on the publication of the name of the accused or the victim. The court immediately upheld this request in view of the nature of the charges and the case, imposing a ban on the publication of the name of the accused and the victim.

Magistrate Montebello also upheld a request for the issuing of a protection order in favour of the accused, explaining to the accused the serious consequences of breaching it.

Bail was not requested at this stage.

The court, in view of a medical certificate presented in the acts of the case, recommended that the accused be held at the forensic section of Mount Carmel Hospital.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared for the accused. Lawyers Franco Galea and Licia Cordina appeared for the victim.