A man who jumped onto his ex's balcony after climbing to the roof of the building in Siġġiewi and threatened her in front of their one-year-old has been handed a two-year probation and a fine.

The court heard how, on 6 April at around 3:30am, district police were called to a residence in Siġġiewi following a domestic argument between the accused and his ex-partner. The couple had recently ended their eight-year relationship on 3 April and share a one-year-old son.

According to the prosecution, the accused entered the apartment block using a key and made his way into the apartment after going onto the roof and jumping onto the balcony, despite not being welcome.

Prior to the incident, he had sent the woman a number of insulting messages over a dispute involving a car he had purchased and lent to her, which he wanted back.

Tensions between the pair had already escalated earlier that day, when the child accidentally dropped an iPad, prompting the accused to become aggressive and verbally abusive towards the woman.

Upon confronting her at the residence, the accused threatened the victim in the presence of their child.

The court was also informed that the accused has nine firearms registered in his name, which were subsequently seized by authorities.

The victim had sought assistance from a social worker, who later reported the situation to the police.

The accused entered an early admission to the charges and acknowledged occasional cocaine use, while denying that he is a frequent user or addict. Reference was also made to anger-related issues, although the defence argued that he does not suffer from anger problems and insisted that this was an isolated incident in an otherwise almost clean record.

During proceedings, the court raised concerns about the broader impact of domestic violence cases, particularly on minors, noting the difficulty in imposing restraining orders between parents without affecting the child or access to the child. The court stressed the need for more structured solutions in such increasingly common situations.

In its judgment, the court placed Agius under a two-year probation order to be supervised by a probation officer and imposed a €250 fine.

A restraining order was also issued in favour of the victim for a period of two years, with exceptions in place to regulate access to the child through separate proceedings.

Additionally, the accused was bound by a €1,000 personal guarantee, which he risks forfeiting if he breaches the restraining order or disturbs the public peace in relation to the victim.

The case was heard before Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi, with Inspector Christian Cauchi prosecuting and lawyer Rachel Tua appearing for the accused.