A man has been released on bail after being arraigned in court on domestic violence charges.

Inspector Hubert Cini arraigned the man, who cannot be named by order of the court, before magistrate Grazio Mercieca today after a domestic violence incident at his home.

The accused, who told the court he was a company director, pleaded not guilty, although he did not contest the facts.

The accused’s partner of 15 years and mother of his 16-year-old son took the witness stand from where she declared that she did not wish the proceedings to continue. In criminal proceedings, the withdrawal of the complaint by the injured party does not bind the court, however.

The man’s defence counsel, lawyers Lucio Sciriha and Franco Galea, declared that “the accused, irrespective of these proceedings, is obliging himself to undergo treatment for anger management and that until the conclusion of these proceedings he would be residing separately from the woman.”

Bail was granted after the prosecution said it would not object as long as sufficient conditions were imposed.

The man was released from arrest against a personal guarantee of €3,000 and warned not to approach any prosecution witnesses and sign a bail book once a week.