Man, 23, locked up girlfriend in room for 3 days

A man who locked his girlfriend in a room for three days with no food, drink or access to a toilet has been given a suspended sentence and ordered to take an anger management course.

David Azzopardi, 23, from Senglea, imprisoned Anne Marie Caruana when she told him she wanted to break off the relationship four years ago.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman heard Mr Azzopardi’s problems stemmed from his troubled childhood but said his attitude and behaviour were “unacceptable”.

She said that although he had attitude and anger management problems, his actions could not be excused.

As well as the suspended jail term, she placed him under an 18-month supervision order, during which he was ordered to attend programmes on domestic violence and anger management.

Ms Caruana told the court that her partner beat her on a daily basis. Towards the end of the case, she said she was pregnant with his child and did not want the proceedings to continue.

Ms Caruana – who went back to her mother’s house 17 times during her relationship with Mr Azzopardi – said he had threatened to kill her and her mother, who was bringing up her three children.

She said she was petrified of him and recounted how he stabbed her in the leg with a knife during an argument when she said she wanted to end the relationship.

The court also heard that he had asked her for money because he had a gambling problem. She gave him €50 but he wanted more, which she refused to give him.

In another incident, she was at a bar when Mr Azzopardi arrived, started yelling at her and beat her in front of patrons, who intervened to stop him.

When they went home, he locked her in her room, taking her mobile phone so she could not contact anyone and left her there with no food or drink.

The stabbing incident took place when she was released.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto appeared for Mr Azzopardi.