Guilty of domestic violence, man gets suspended sentence

A man who injured his wife and son during a violent domestic argument has been handed a suspended sentence and a restraining order after filing a guilty plea.

The man, 31 of Birkirkara, was arraigned on charges of grievously injuring his estranged partner and slightly injuring his 2-year-old son in May 2015 following an incident in Floriana.

He pleaded guilty to those charges, as well as to having caused voluntary damage to third party property, possession of a sharp instrument without the necessary police licence and breaching public peace.

The man was cleared of a separate charge of stalking, the court holding that the "course of conduct" required at law was absent.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech noted the man had an "unhappy criminal record" but noted that the accused was at a stage in his life where he could still reform himself, together with the circumstances surrounding the case.

In view of this, the court condemned the man to a two-year prison term suspended for four years and fined him €116.

A three-year protection order together with a restraining order were issued in favour of the victims.

Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Angie Muscat were defence counsel to Sciberras.