Man charged with trying to kill partner

A man was yesterday charged with trying to kill his partner of 11 years and with whom he has two daughters.

Paul Azzopardi, 52, of Ħamrun was charged with beating his partner and stabbing her in the neck just below the ear in an argument that broke out between them on Friday.

The woman is now in a stable condition in hospital. The attack, which the man admitted to in his police statement, occurred in front of the couple's two daughters. Inspector Joseph Agius told the court that the girls have given evidence to the police against their father.

Counsel for the accused conceded that Mr Azzopardi had acknowledged the incident in his statement but denied there was an intent to kill.

Inspector Agius said the daughters told them that their father fetched a knife from a drawer before he stabbed their mother in the neck.

Besides the charge of attempted murder, the police are also accusing Mr Azzopardi of terrorising the woman throughout their 11-year relationship.

"There were several times when the woman filed a report only to retract it because she would forgive him," Inspector Agius said.

Defence lawyers Veronique Dalli and José Herrera asked that their client be granted bail but Magistrate Jaqcueline Padovani turned down the request, taking into account the prosecution's argument that the man could intimidate the witnesses.