A court has placed a policewoman's husband under strict bail conditions after he was charged with domestic abuse and marital rape.

The man from Hamrun, aged 32, was ordered to keep his distance from their home following a number of charges which also included holding his partner against her will. It was also revealed that the accused had smashed the victim's mobile phone and windscreen.

The court heard how the victim had spoken up after months of living in fear, and that she did not report the case due to her profession.

The victim decided to report the incident after the latest violent episode.

The accused, who has denied the charges, has previously been involved in other violent incidents with previous partners, with the prosecution claiming that it had photos of one the victim's bruised face.

The man had allegedly twice raped the woman, once forcing her at knifepoint and on another occasion threatening to beat her if she resisted his demands.

The defence counsel of the accused said that posts on social media a few days before the alleged incident indicated that the relationship between the pair was well.

It was also noted that the prosecution appeared to be more enthusiastic when the victim was a police officer.

This was met with criticism from the prosecution, who said that such attacks where often a precursor to homicide. This, the defence said, could influence the court's decision.

The defence also claimed that the victim's injuries were a result of a previous altercation after the victim had thrown an ashtray at the accused.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Gabriella Vella, upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €5,000.

Other conditions involved signing the bail book on a daily basis and observing a curfew between 8.30pm and 7.30am.

The court further issued a Protection Order in favour of the alleged victim and strongly warned the man not to lay foot inside the matrimonial home.