Taxi driver Julian Genovese was yesterday jailed for three years and four months after a court heard how he had pulled his sister-in-law's hair out while she was at work because he suspected that she was reporting his whereabouts to his wife.

On the day of the incident, in March 2007, he drove up a one-way street to his sister-in-law's office in St Julians, walked in and smashed up advertising boards and telephones before grabbing the woman and pulling out a clump of her hair.

The incident took place in front of an elderly man, Julian Ellul, who was in the office and described the scene to the court.

Another witness, Adrian Pillow who was walking past the agency at the time when Mr Genovese drove up the one-way street, corroborated the testimony given by Mr Ellul and the woman.

Magistrate Edwina Grima said that she could not ignore the fact that Mr Genovese had relapsed. He had breached the conditions of a previous release and broken two suspended jail terms.

Jailing him for nine months for this case, the court also brought into effect two suspended jail terms one of 13 months and the second of 18 months.