A woman who admitted to filing a false domestic violence report after purposely cutting herself with a knife in an attempt to trump up the charges against her partner was today put on probation by a court.

The man was nevertheless remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to threatening and holding her against her will in their Tarxien apartment.

The couple were arraigned this afternoon and charged separately before Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona.

The woman, 34, admitted to filing a false police report at the Paola police station yesterday, shortly before midnight.

Prior to delivering his decision, the magistrate warned her that such an act was very serious, as the nature of the allegations she filed against her partner carried a prison term.

However, she was spared jail and put on probation for three years during which she would have to undergo a drug rehabilitation programme.

On his part, the 32-year-old man denied all charges but was denied bail as he had no fixed address except that of his partner’s mother.

He was accused of threatening his estranged partner and causing her to fear he would use violence against her as well as the children she had had from a separate relationship.

He was also charged of locking her in their apartment and breaching the bail conditions imposed by another court on August 16.

During bail submissions, the woman testified that she would only be allowed to go out in the man's company and that she was not aware that she could have filed a report over the phone.

She testified that after being held prisoner in their apartment for about a month, she took the opportunity to file a report on Saturday night while she was out with her partner in Paola.

The witness claimed that when she told her partner about the police report, he threatened to make both herself and her other children “pay”.

The court heard that the relationship had been going on for six years and the couple had three children together.

Lawyer Fransina Abela was legal aid for the woman, while Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili appeared for the man. Police inspector Spiridione Zammit prosecuted.