A woman who allegedly was beaten by her Libyan husband yesterday took the witness stand and gave evidence during the compilation of evidence against the man.

Marthese Vella was testifying in the compilation of evidence against her husband Khalifa Al-Ashtar who is pleading not guilty to the charges of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, threatening and harassing her. He is also pleading not guilty to breaching the peace.

Ms Vella told the court, presided over by magistrate Antonio Mizzi, that on Wednesday 9 October at around 3.50pm someone rang her doorbell. When she opened the front door, she found her husband with his luggage who had driven over straight from the airport.

The man, Khaled Khalifa Al-Ashtar, had just come back from Libya where he was visiting his family. Ms Vella said she was shocked when she saw him as she was expecting him back a week later.

In her testimony, Ms Vella said she was afraid of her husband as he was in the habit of beating her and that, after refusing to accompany him to Libya with their daughter, he had threatened her, saying that “he did not care if he is sent to prison”.

Ms Vella described how the man walked into the house, knelt down and began praying. Soon after, she added, he told her “you are going to make me lose my daughter”.

She said she sent her friend a text message and took her daughter in the kitchen, where Mr Al-Ashtar opened his bags and showed the child the presents he bought her.

Ms Vella said her husband became agitated and she tried to escape.

However, she said that he punched her in the back and she fell face down on the floor. He grabbed her by the neck from behind and dragged her, but she bit him in the finger. He then grabbed a chair and started hitting her with it.

She said that their four-year-old daughter started pleading with her father not to hit her mother, but the man hit the woman’s face, head, neck and shoulders with the chair.

Ms Vella’s mobile phone rang and when she answered, asked her friend to call the police. Soon after, she said, her sister called and the man told her that everything was fine.

However she was hospitalised for almost 48 hours, she said.

Ms Vella explained that she married Mr Al-Ashtar in 2003 and soon after the birth of their daughter he started beating her – she forgot to put cucumber in his sandwich when it happened for the first time. In 2004 she filed for separation and in September asked an immigration inspector for protection.

She also said that, along with her daughter, she was supposed to join him in Tripoli on 2 October.

However, she said, they remained in Malta as the child developed a fever and added that the girl already showed similar symptoms a month earlier so she did not send for a doctor.

Ms Vella also said that she had bought the flight tickets for Libya and when her husband asked her why they did not join him, she told him that she was asking for a separation and did not want to act as a happy couple in front of his relatives.

He then told her that he would lose face with his family and began threatening her.

Court expert Dr Mario Scerri testified that Ms Vella had several bruises on her face, head, neck, and chest that could have easily been made on the day of the alleged assault.

He added that Ms Vella had a haemorrhage in her eye, which in the future may cause complications and also indicated that the woman had a number of grip marks on her arm and neck.

Prosecuting Inspector Kevin Farrugia said he arrested Mr Al-Ashwar after he received a report that a woman had been assaulted by her husband.

Mr Al-Ashwar had told the inspector that a misunderstanding was marring his marriage and that he asked his wife to accompany him to Libya.

Insp. Farrugia said that Al-Ashwar became angry when the woman refused to do so citing lack of funds as a reason and he later discovered that she went on a cruise.

He also told the police that he found out that the house’s lock had been changed. Mr Al-Ashwar said he tried to defend himself after the woman assaulted him and that he had a slight injury on his finger.

Police inspector Kevin Farrugia prosecuted while Dr Mark Busuttil appeared for Mr Al-Ashwar. Dr Andy Ellul and Dr Vincent Micallef appeared in parte civile.