What should have been a joyous occasion instead formed the backdrop to a violent incident on Sunday when a man from Hamrun allegedly assaulted his partner at a baptism party.

The 28-year old unemployed man, whose name is not being published to safeguard the identity of his alleged victim was accused on Tuesday of having slightly injured the woman in a fight at the couple’s home on Sunday morning.

Inspector Wayne Camilleri explained to the court, presided by magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace, how the man had returned to the house later that evening and injured a neighbour in a second fight.

The man pleaded not guilty to slightly injuring his partner, voluntary damage to third party property, slightly injuring the neighbour, possession of a knife, as well as breaching the peace.

After entering the plea, defence lawyer Yanika Bugeja requested bail, pointing out that her client had also suffered injuries in the altercations and claiming that he had acted in self-defence. The alleged victims were familiar faces in court, she said.

The lawyer explained that the incident had been triggered when the man was told to leave his own home.

One could not simply force a person to sleep on the streets, Bugeja argued, adding that unfortunately the current handling of cases of domestic violence left much to be desired.

But Inspector Camilleri clarified that the accused had turned up at his Hamrun home after being banned from going there by a court. In breaching that order, he had also been armed with a knife, said the inspector. The incident had apparently been triggered by a baptism party involving the man’s partner, he said.

Many civilian witnesses were yet to testify, added the inspector.

Magistrate Micallef Stafrace denied the request for bail and remanded the man in custody.