A 41-year-old woman from Cospicua was arraigned in court on Monday, accused of assaulting her former partner with an umbrella, breaking it during the alleged attack.

The woman is charged with slightly injuring the 61-year-old man, causing him to fear violence, threatening and insulting him, stealing a Redmi A5 mobile phone, breaching the public peace and entering the man's home without authorisation. She is also facing a separate charge of causing the man slight injuries in an earlier incident in May.

The court heard that the couple ended their relationship on December 8, after the woman repeatedly asked the man to lend her money to support a drug habit.

According to the prosecution, the accused was found outside the man's residence on December 17, where she again demanded money and accused him of having another partner. An argument ensued, during which she allegedly punched the man, seized his umbrella and struck him with it, breaking it in the process.

The man told the court that he dropped his wallet and keys into a neighbour's letter box in an attempt to prevent the woman from taking them. She allegedly reached inside, retrieved the keys and entered his home without permission, where she consumed heroin and cocaine. The man subsequently reported the incident at a police station.

On returning to his residence, the man found drawers pulled out and rubbish strewn across the premises.

The alleged victim also informed police of a previous incident in May, producing a separate medical certificate. He stated that during arguments the woman would allegedly threaten him with a knife.

The defence requested bail, but police inspector Audrey Micallef objected, citing the accused's lack of cooperation with police and the risk of evidence tampering. Defence lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar argued that a third-party guarantor was prepared to ensure compliance with bail conditions.

The court, however, denied the bail request.

Magistrate Monica Vella presided. Inspector Audrey Micallef prosecuted, while legal aid lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar appeared for the accused.