Chef arrested after threatening wife and sons with knife

A court has heard how a British-born chef threatened his wife and two of his sons with a knife during an argument at their home yesterday morning.

The 46-year-old man, a chef at a five-star resort, was arrested after police responded to a call by the accused himself.

During the man's arraignment this morning, police Inspector Elton Taliana told Magistrate Monica Vella that this was not the first time that the police had been called to the man’s Swieqi residence.

He explained that the accused had rowed with his wife as the two were about to leave for a social event. The accused ended up going on his own.

The argument resumed when the, now inebriated, accused returned. Several household items, including chairs were thrown in the resulting argument. The man’s son, aged 20, was also involved, said the inspector.

The accused had told his wife and son that he would kill them both using a knife – a statement which led the police to arrest the accused when the man reached for the cutlery drawer in their presence.

Another knife was found hidden behind the living room sofa, added the inspector.

Inspector Taliana told the court that the man had anger management issues which worsened when the man consumed alcohol. “The police could not take any risks, especially since this was not the first such incident," said the inspector.

But defence lawyer Mario Spiteri argued that the incident had come about after the accused was provoked the wife and son. He pointed out that it was the accused who had called for police assistance. Additionally, there was no evidence to link his client to the knife retrieved from behind the sofa, submitted the lawyer.

The man pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail against a €2,500 deposit and a €5,000 personal guarantee, also being required to sign a bail book every week. To the man’s protestations that the amount of the deposit was too high, the court replied that domestic violence was not an issue which the court took lightly.

The magistrate issued a protection order for the woman and the two children, after it was told that the man would be leaving the matrimonial home and residing in separate accommodation whilst on bail.