A woman who hit her former partner with a frying pan was acquitted of injuring him today after a court found she had acted in self-defence. 

The court, presided by Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, heard how on October 10, 2013 at around 11.00pm an argument broke out in the family home in Rabat.

The woman testified that, after having split from her former partner and father of her son, she had taken pity on the man and allowed him to sleep on the sofa since he had nowhere to go. 

On the night of the incident, when the woman was already in bed, an argument broke out after the man suspected that his former partner was seeing other men.

He allegedly began to hurl abuse at the woman then assaulted her as she lay in bed. Blinded by his rage, the man allegedly grabbed the woman by the hair and dragged her down the stairs. 

Desperate to protect herself against the assault, the woman allegedly grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen and hit the man on the head. 

The court observed that the only witnesses of the  aggression were the accused and the victim themselves. 

After considering the evidence brought before it, particularly the photos which clearly proved that the woman had suffered multiple bruises and cuts to various parts of her body, the court declared that the woman's version was more credible. 

The  man obviously harboured a degree of "anger and jealousy," the court said, adding that the accused had reacted to the violence so as to protect herself. 

This was a classic case of legitimate self-defence, the court concluded and declared the accused not guilty of the charges filed against her. 

Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi prosecuted.

Lawyer Leontine Calleja was defence counsel.

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