A 50-year-old man from San Ġwann was denied bail after pleading not guilty to a number of domestic violence charges arising from an incident that allegedly took place during the early hours of 24 June.

The accused is charged with committing acts of domestic violence against his wife and their two children, both of whom are minors.

He also faces charges of causing slight injuries to his wife and children, threatening members of his household, damaging property and committing the alleged offences in the presence of minors.

The court heard police were called to the family's residence at around 4:30am after receiving reports of a domestic disturbance. Upon arriving at the scene, officers allegedly found extensive damage inside the house.

According to the prosecution, the accused's wife informed police he has a serious alcohol problem and had been served with divorce papers on 18 June.

She alleged that, after returning home heavily intoxicated from work, the accused went on the roof of the residence and shouted to one of their daughters that he would throw her mother from the rooftop. He also allegedly threatened to burn down the family home. The prosecution further stated that, when the accused realised his son had called the police, he allegedly turned his threats towards him. A drug test carried out following his arrest also returned a positive result.

The defence did not contest the validity of the arrest, which was subsequently confirmed by the court. Throughout the proceedings, the accused remained silent when asked to provide his personal details and did not address the court. A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.

Requesting bail, the defence submitted that the accused was willing to undergo treatment for his addiction. The court was informed that he is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation programme at Dar l-Impenn on 21 July and has an appointment with Caritas on 6 July.

The defence also argued the accused is a first-time offender, owns and manages a business, is financially stable and would reside with his mother if released. It further maintained that the damage caused to the residence was unintentional and stemmed from his addiction.

The prosecution opposed the request for bail, arguing that the alleged victims continue to reside in the same home and would remain at risk if the accused were released. It also submitted that the alleged incident occurred while the children were asleep and stressed that this was not the first alleged episode of domestic violence. The prosecution further argued that the accused should have sought rehabilitation before his arrest and referred to the slight injuries allegedly suffered by the victims.

After considering the submissions and noting that the alleged victims have not yet testified, the court rejected the request for bail. However, it issued a treatment order in favour of the accused and a protection order in favour of the alleged victims.

The court warned that any breach of the protection order, including any contact with the alleged victims, could result in imprisonment for up to two years and/or a fine of up to €7,000.

Prosecution was led by Inspector Christian Cauchi and the accused was assisted by lawyer Jose Herrerra.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit presided over the case.