A man accused of trying to kill his daughter's husband five years ago was acting in self-defence after having been attacked with a penknife, defence lawyers insisted yesterday.

Innocent Farrugia, 64, of Gudja, told investigators he had no intention of killing but simply retaliated to an attack.

He is pleading not guilty to stabbing his son-in-law, Joseph Caruana, 46, with a penknife on May 4, 2005. Mr Caruana told the court that he had forgiven his father-in-law for what he had done.

Police Inspector Joseph Agius testified before jurors yesterday that the incident took place a day after Mr Caruana's wife, Suzanne, left their matrimonial home after having seen her husband in the company of a prostitute in Marsa.

The woman left home with her daughter, who at the time was 11 years old, as well as a number of items from the house, including a computer. They went to live at her parents' house in Għaxaq.

Inspector Agius said that in his statement to the police, the accused had said Mr Caruana blocked his van in Gudja and the two came to blows.

The inspector said there were other police reports in which the accused claimed that the alleged victim threatened to kill him and his family.

He said the accused insisted it was Mr Caruana who attacked him with a knife and he managed to wrestle the knife away from him and hit him in self-defence.

Mr Caruana initially refused to testify but was ordered to do so by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono. He explained that problems with his father-in-law began after his wife thought he had met a prostitute, when he was in Marsa only because of his work as a plasterer.

He said it was the accused who blocked the road in Gudja and that it was his wife's father who attacked him.

Court experts told the court that Mr Caruana was struck in the neck with a penknife whose blade entered the area behind the left ear and penetrated as far as the top of the mouth, damaging the pharynx and the tonsils. Mr Caruana had been in danger of dying and was released from hospital eight days later.

Addressing the jurors in the final stages of the trial, defence lawyer Roberto Montalto said Mr Caruana was the instigator of the incident and he had attacked his client because he was angry his wife had left home with their daughter.

Mr Farrugia was the real victim of this crime because he was protecting his daughter from a man who had threatened to kill him and his family, Dr Montalto argued.

Prosecuting lawyer Lara Lanfranco, from the Attorney General's office, insisted Mr Farrugia assaulted Mr Caruana with a penknife with the intention of killing him. She said Mr Caruana had no reason to lie about what happened because he was the one who was on the brink of dying after having been stabbed.

Lawyer Michael Schiriha also appeared for the defence. Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett appeared parte civile for the alleged victim.

The case continues today.