A husband who allegedly assaults his wife “on a monthly basis” was yesterday charged with breaking her nose, leaving her too scared to step back into the marital home.

“This was not the first time. Every month the police receive reports about him attacking her,” Police Inspector Robert Said Sarreo told the court, after the accused Alston Gambin pleaded not guilty to seriously injuring his wife.

Mr Gambin, a 31-year-old tile-layer from Żabbar, also denied breaching the peace, going beyond the limits of provocation, harassing her and threatening to use violence against her on Friday evening at their home.

Inspector Said Sarreo said that in another of the more serious incidents he had punched her in the ear because she had opened a door roughly.

The latest incident happened after she opened a door to the garage and accidentally hit their dog, sources close to the case said.

The inspector said that in the ensuing argument, he beat her and broke her nose.

During the arraignment yesterday, the inspector said that when one of the cases had reached court in the past she forgave him so as not to break up the family.

In pleas on bail, the inspector said that he was objecting to bail on the grounds that witnesses still had to testify and the victim was absolutely terrified of her husband. “Even though he is under arrest, she was too scared to go back to the martial home to retrieve her personal items,” the inspector said.

Defence lawyer Mark Busuttil said the woman was under psychiatric care and had provoked his client.

It was unfair that Mr Gambin was being projected as the aggressor because he too had been attacked, he said. He asked him to turn his face and showed Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras some superficial scratches.

Dr Busuttil said Mr Gambin’s wife was living with her mother and the marital home was empty, leaving him free to be granted bail as he could live there without the fear of evidence being tampered with.

The request was turned down and the accused was remanded in custody.