Court detains man who injured wife and baby in domestic dispute

A magistrate has ordered a Birkirkara man be remanded in custody after he was arraigned before the court this morning, charged with breaking his girlfriend’s nose and injuring her baby in the process.

Inspector Daryl Borg told Magistrate Giovanni Grixti how last night, after a family argument, 29-year-old Jonathan Sciberras had allegedly gone on a rampage at his girlfriend’s Floriana home, causing over €2,500 worth of damages.

The inspector said that Sciberras had punched his girlfriend in the face, breaking her nose and several teeth, before attempting to take the 2-year-old with him, injuring it in the process. He informed the court that the woman was currently in hospital and could not testify during that sitting.

In addition to the charges of grievous bodily harm and voluntary damage to property, Sciberras was also charged with carrying a bladed instrument without the requisite police permission, breaching the peace and relapsing.

Lawyer Marion Camilleri, appearing for the accused, together with lawyers Franco Debono and Angie Muscat, requested bail on the grounds that the prosecution had already taken a statement from the accused. She argued that the other witnesses and the alleged victims could easily be protected from interference by prohibiting the accused from approaching them or indeed banning him from going to Floriana outright.

Camilleri took issue with the fact that the prosecution had not summoned any witnesses. Inspector Borg pointed out that the victim was still in hospital, adding that the witnesses would all be summoned in the next sitting. “And in the meantime, my client has to remain in custody,” remarked the lawyer, testily.

Magistrate Grixti, after taking into account the gravity of the charges and the fact that all prosecution witnesses were yet to be heard, declined the request for bail.