A magistrate heard yesterday how a man held a knife to his wife’s throat in the presence of two of their three children last June.

Police Inspector Christabelle Chetcuti, prosecuting, told Magistrate Doreen Clarke the incident was not reported to the police, with the wife saying she feared her husband and was also worried she would lose custody of the children.

The officer was testifying in the compilation of evidence against the 62-year-old general manager from Attard, who is pleading not guilty to charges of seriously injuring his wife with a knife on August 26. His name cannot be mentioned by court order.

He is also denying damaging her mobile phone during the argument, causing her to fear that violence will be used against her and threatening her.

Lawyer Abigail Critien, appearing parte civile, informed the court that the woman and the three children opted not to testify. The children are aged 16, 14 and seven.

The prosecuting officer said the police would go ahead with the case because domestic violence incidents did not require a criminal complaint by the injured party.

She said investigations into the case started when the police were informed that a woman had been treated at the Mosta health centre after being slashed with a knife. It was the man who took his wife to the health centre.

It emerged that an argument broke out while the couple were discussing the possibility of initiating separation proceedings. During the argument, the officer said, the man grabbed his wife’s iPhone and smashed it on the ground. He then opened the kitchen drawer, got a knife and started threatening her with it. As he was waving the knife, he hit her on the hand, slashing two of her fingers.

Ms Chetcuti said the woman had told her about an incident that happened in the beginning of June during an argument that broke out shortly after the youngest daughter’s Holy Communion Mass. Then, he allegedly placed a knife against her neck in the presence of two of their three children. When their presence was pointed out to him, he sent them upstairs to their room, the officer added.

Under cross-examination, the officer said she was not aware that the family had gone to the United States and to Sicily on two holidays between June and August. She said none of the three children had witnessed the latest knife incident because the 14-year-old was upstairs in her room at the time.

At the end of the sitting, Magistrate Clarke granted the man bail against a €5,000 deposit and a €15,000 personal guarantee after the court was informed that he was moving out of the matrimonial home and going to live elsewhere. He was ordered to sign the bail book twice a week and issued a protection order for the wife and children.

The case continues.

Lawyers Shazoo Ghaznavi, Charlon Gouder and Joseph Gerada appeared for the accused.