Husband who whipped wife with electrical cord in front of their child gets suspended sentence

A husband who flogged his wife with an electrical cord in front of their seven-year-old child, was handed a suspended sentence.

When delivering her sentence, Magistrate Rachel Montebello said the behaviour was “not tolerable in society”.

The 42-year-old accused from Mosta, is not being named to protect the identities of both the victim and the child.

The case relates to an incident in February 2022, during which the man had repeatedly whipped the woman with a fridge’s power cord and plug, causing injuries to her face, arms and upper body.

In court, the defendant had claimed to have been in the midst of separation proceedings due to infidelity on the part of his wife, which the woman denies.

The victim had testified about the incident, telling the court that she had been in bed with her son when she heard loud noises coming from downstairs.

On the lower floor, she found her husband in the process of smashing items on the ground.

The man had then walked upstairs, where he woke up the sleeping son to ask where his mother was going in the evenings.

Returning downstairs, the man had pushed the woman onto a sofa, and proceeded to whip her with the electrical cord attached to their fridge. She had testified to seeing the child trembling in fear as the spectacle unfolded in front of him. The woman’s father, who lived with the couple, had also witnessed the incident, she said.

The woman had been able to call the police, who arrived within minutes.

When questioned by the police, the man said that he had received a letter from his wife’s lawyer initiating separation proceedings, some three weeks prior to the incident. He protested that he would work long and hard to allow his family to live in comfort.

He did not reply to questions about the incident.

Finding the man guilty, Magistrate Montebello said that there was no explanation for the violence employed by the defendant and observed that the court had seen no evidence of provocation on the part of the victim.

Aggressive and violent behaviour of this sort had no place in society and should not be tolerated, said the magistrate, going on to say that the crime deserved a punishment that would serve as a deterrent, while conveying the message that violence against women, and any violence within a domestic unit is deplorable and worthy of severe condemnation.

The man was sentenced to nine months in prison, which were suspended for two years. He was also ordered to pay €525 in court expenses. The court issued a protection order in favour of the woman.

Police inspector Sherona Buhagiar prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Francesca Zarb were defence counsel.