A man told a Family Court judge if she ordered him to leave his matrimonial home he would be sleeping on her doorstep.

Vincent Martin Carabott, 57, of Birkirkara, who yesterday appeared before Magistrate Josette Demicoli, insists he did not mean to threaten Madam Justice Abigail Lofaro when he uttered those words in court on Thursday.

He says he was just expressing concern at the situation he might find himself in if he was made to leave his home.

“If it was understood as a threat, this was never the intention,” Mr Carabott’s lawyer, Tonio Azzopardi, told Magistrate Demicoli. Mr Carabott, an Education Department officer, pleaded not guilty to threatening the judge and relapsing.

Dr Azzopardi asked the magistrate to order that nothing about the arraignment be reported given that the incident stemmed from a Family Court case. He acknowledged that his client did say that if he were made to leave the matrimonial home he would go and live outside “her” door.

However, that was not meant to be a threat but, rather, as an expression of concern about his state if the court decided that he should leave his home.

Police Inspector Sylvana Briffa, prosecuting, objected to the ban on publication of details about the case, arguing there were no legal grounds why this should happen.

She added that police investigations indicated that Mr Carabott’s words amounted to threats that could cause a judge to fear doing her job.

The officer noted that Mr Carabott insisted to the police he would do what he had said he would be doing during the sitting.

“He said that, should he feel the need, he will go and sleep outside the judge’s house,” she said.

Magistrate Demicoli rejected the request for the ban on publication of details and remanded the accused in custody.