Man cleared of domestic violence guilty of breaking daughter’s nose

A man who last year was acquitted of domestic violence because a magistrate ruled his estranged wife’s reports were unfounded was yesterday found guilty of breaking his daughter’s nose.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli yesterday found Anthony Pisani, 52, of Marsascala guilty of breaking his daughter’s nose on February 17, 2005, when she failed to get bread.

She testified that they argued and he head-butted her.

Mr Pisani insisted that it was an accident. He said that his daughter had argued with her mother and he tried to break it up, accidently hitting his daughter’s nose with the tip of his baseball cap.

However, the magistrate found the daughter’s version more credible and handed down an 18-month jail term suspended for two years.

Mr Pisani had been cleared of domestic violence after Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera ruled that his wife had persuaded his two daughters to testify against him and portray him as a violent man.

Lawyer Mark Busuttil appeared for Mr Pisani.

Lawyers Errol Cutajar and Astrid May Falzon appeared for the wife.