A man was jailed for one month yesterday, and had his bail revoked, after he was found guilty of breaching his bail conditions when he damaged the front door of his Tarxien house, where his wife is living with their children.

Charles Brincat, 26, from Tarxien, was originally accused of threatening his estranged wife Ritienne as well as her parents Carmen and Angelo Camilleri at their home in Birkirkara.

The court heard how Brincat and his wife had argued at their family home in Tarxien. Mrs Brincat packed up and left and went to her parents’ home. The accused followed her and allegedly threatened her and her parents with a knife.

Brincat was also accused of threatening to kill Mrs Brincat and the Camilleris, breaching the peace and being in possession of a sharp and pointed instrument without a licence issued by the Police Commissioner.

The court, presided over by magistrate Audrey Demicoli, heard how on 11 March, Brincat went to his house in Tarxien – where his bail conditions ordered he was not to go – and damaged the front door because he wanted to see his children who, he admitted in court yesterday, he had seen the previous day.

Magistrate Demicoli ruled that Brincat was guilty of breaching his bail conditions and sentenced him to one month in jail and ordered his re-arrest.

With regard to the other case, magistrate Demicoli heard Mr and Mrs Camilleri testify how in January, Brincat went to their house in Birkirkara where his estranged wife was, and demanded to go inside. After he had been persuaded to leave quietly, he produced a knife from behind his back

Mrs Camilleri explained that her daughter had left the matrimonial house in Tarxien because Brincat had gone home drunk and was causing trouble. Mrs Brincat called her parents and told them that she had had enough and they offered to go to collect her and take her to their house in Birkirkara.

After a couple of hours, Brincat turned up on the doorstep and demanded to go inside. Mr Camilleri did not allow him to enter, and that was when Brincat produced the knife.

Under cross-examination, Mrs Brincat said it was not true that she was not allowing her former husband to see the children. On the other hand, she replied, it was he who once told her to keep the children herself because he did not want them.

Magistrate Demicoli deferred the case for judgement.

Police Inspector Kevin Farrugia prosecuted while Dr Ludwig Caruana appeared for the accused.