A 48-year-old man was yesterday accused of slightly injuring and threatening his three sons who he allegedly beat to discipline them.

The man, who is not being named to protect the boys, aged 10, 14 and 16, is separated from his wife and the incidents allegedly happened while the children were at his mother’s house, Police Inspector Louise Calleja, prosecuting, said.

Defence lawyers Raphael Fenech Adami and Marion Camilleri said the charges were almost contraventions because he was not attacking but disciplining the boys.

The children’s mother had full custody of the boys, the eldest of which was described as “uncontrollable”, but handed them over to the father after she entered into a second relationship from which she had more children.

Dr Fenech Adami said the mother could not control the boys anymore and so sent them to live with their father, where they seemed to have calmed down, he said.

At one point, the prosec-ution and the defence, discuss-ed the case at the Bench with Magistrate Doreen Clarke. The accused was then grant-ed bail against a personal guarantee of €3,000 and ordered not to speak to the children or go anywhere near them.

Lawyer Franco Debono also appeared for the accused.