Man charged with beating his partner with firearm is denied bail

A man has been remanded in custody after allegedly injuring and threatening his partner, including with the use of a firearm.

The accused, who cannot be named due to a publication ban was arraigned under a plethora of charges including breaching five separate sets of bail conditions, causing slight injury to the alleged victim as well as possession of a firearm without the appropriate license.

The Court was informed that over two days the accused variously threatened that he would injure his partner. On one particular occasion, the accused allegedly took the victim to a field where he threw her to the ground and hit her with the firearm. 

During the sitting, the alleged victim requested that the proceedings against her partner be terminated. She informed the court of her wish that any problems between herself and her partner be resolved privately, and that positive talks had taken place between the day of the filing of the report and the sitting.

She declared that her statement was voluntary, and that she was neither enticed nor threatened to make such a request.

The Court, however, presided over by Magistrate Victor Axiak, rejected the request, taking into account various factors including a risk assessment.

A request for bail was also made. Whilst the prosecution objected, noting that the accused allegedly failed to sign the bail book on a particular day and that it was not confident that the accused would not commit another offence if granted bail, defence lawyer Franco Debono argued that the request of the alleged victim should at least be taken into account for the purposes of bail.

It was furthermore argued that the accused was to be presumed innocent until guilty and that adequate conditions could be imposed by the Court.

The Court rejected the request for bail, noting that it was not confident that the accused would comply with any conditions laid down by it.