Emanuel Infurna, an Italian-born man resident in Malta, was accused in court today of threatening to kill his estranged wife last Saturday evening in Lija.

The man, who appeared before Magistrate Miriam Hayman, pleaded not guilty to threatening Sylvana Infurna. He allegedly threatened to kill her and her present partner.

Defence lawyers said that there were problems between the two, especially over custody of their children, and he wants nothing to do with his wife except to have access to the children.

Mr Infurna was also accused of committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence, breaching a restriction order, breaching the conditions of a previous release and breaching the peace.

He was granted bail against a deposit of €1,000, a personal guarantee of €5,000 and an order not to go near his wife or go to Mosta, where she lives.