Man threatened wife via text messages

A man was given a three-month jail term suspended for two years after he admitted to repeatedly threatening to kill his wife and take their daughter away from her.

During his arraignment last week, the man pleaded guilty to making the threats - which included the threat to burn down their matrimonial home - through text messages over the past months and using telecommunication equipment to commit a crime.

He also admitted to threatening a police constable and an Appogg official as well as his daughter's school headmistress over the phone and telling them he would kill his wife "one day or another".

On handing down judgement Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna noted that the man's criminal record was "not exemplary" and that incidents connected with his wife started in 1995.

The magistrate gave him a suspended jail term, fined him Lm100 and placed him under a supervision order.

Names are not being published to protect the identities of the victims.

Police Inspector Joseph Agius prosecuted.

Lawyer Robert Abela was defence counsel while lawyer Lorraine Schembri Orland represented the mother and child.