Tempers flare as mother accuses daughter's partner

A man who was jailed for eight days after he slightly injured his partner's mother was given a suspended jail term on appeal.

An argument erupted after a woman burst into the house of the accused and accused him of cheating on her daughter. The situation escalated and she even took a swipe at him, scratching his arm last July 25.

His mother testified that during the attack, her son had knocked his partner's mother to the ground, injuring her chin.

His partner's mother gave a completely different version of events and said that it was the accused who grabbed and pushed her into his own house and relentlessly attacked her.

When considering the evidence, Mr Justice David Scicluna said he found the account given by the partner's mother as not credible and that the accused got angry when she alleged he was cheating on her daughter.

The partner's mother had been found guilty last year of slightly injuring him and was reprimanded.

The court said that even though the attack was provoked this did not excuse the accused of his actions, adding that, given the prevailing circumstances within the family, a prison term was not ideal. The court therefore revoked the previous judgement and suspended the eight-day jail term for two years.

All names have been withheld to protect the privacy of the third parties.