Father avoids jail time after failing to make maintenance payments

Nathaniel Muscat was on Thursday spared from spending one week in prison after the court revoked his judgement into a six-month conditional discharge.

Muscat was convicted to a week in prison on 20 October 2025, after he was found guilty of failing to pay maintenance to his wife and children in January 2024.

Upon appeal, the accused maintained he in fact was unemployed at the time, and eventually paid the money he owned. The parte civile confirmed this.

Under the circumstances, the court reformed the previous judgement and imposed a six-month conditional discharge on the accused instead of imprisonment.

Judge Neville Camilleri presided over the case.