Woman tells court ex-partner threatened to kill her

A woman recounted in court yesterday how her former partner, with whom she had a daughter, had phoned her and threatened to kill her.

The woman testified that her ex-partner had a pending court case allegedly involving violence against her and had been granted bail on condition he did not contact her or leave his home.

However, the woman said, on Tuesday morning he phoned her and told her he did not care about "house arrest" and that he would "get rid of me once and for all before he ended up at Corradino (Correctional Facility)".

On one occasion, she continued, he had stabbed her in front of the girl.

The woman was testifying in the arraignment of the 33-year-old man who pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill her, causing her to fear him and harassment. He was also charged with relapsing and breaching bail conditions when he left his house without court permission and when he approached the woman. Magistrate Miriam Hayman, presiding over the arraignment, heard how the accused had left his home without permission to go to the Eden Foundation, where his daughter had been.

At the end of the arraignment, the man, represented by lawyer Joseph Brincat, made a request for bail.

Magistrate Hayman turned down the request at this stage saying the man was not trustworthy.

On hearing this, Dr Brincat formally requested the magistrate to abstain from deciding the case because, in saying that his client was not trustworthy, she had voiced an opinion as to his credibility.

The magistrate will decide on the matter on Monday.

Police Inspectors Chris Pullicino and Alexander Grech prosecuted.