A 71-year-old man who forced his wife to watch porn while inserting objects into her private parts will be spending the next year behind bars.
In an arraignment which verged on the surreal, the court heard how the man subjected his wife, 68, to the humiliating treatment last night while watching a pornographic film on TV.
When the victim finally managed to break free, she rushed out into the darkened street naked, crying out for help.
Dragged to court this morning, the husband wearing bermudas, a summer shirt and open sandals, sat in the dock listening helplessly, with a somewhat perplexed look upon his face as gruesome details trickled out throughout the hearing.
You ought to respect the woman who bore you two children- Magistrate
He was charged with attempted to commit violent indecent assault upon his spouse, causing her to fear violence, and with insulting and threatening the woman with whom he had shared bed and board for the past 42 years.
The man raised both arms in a gesture of self-defeat and declared “there’s nothing I can do. I admit.”
The court, presided over by magistrate Joseph Mifsud, warned the accused that it had "zero tolerance" towards domestic violence.
“Domestic violence is ageless and the court has a duty to protect such victims,” the magistrate said.
“Women are to be treated with utmost respect” continued the magistrate, remarking that simply entrusting the purse strings to one’s spouse only to treat her “like a doormat” did not make sense.
The argument seemed to fall on deaf ears, with the man insisting in open court that he had given his wife all his money despite their matrimonial problems.
However, the magistrate would not listen to the man's arguments, pointing out that the accused ought to have sought appropriate legal channels to resolve such problems.
The prosecution further pointed out that this had allegedly not been a one-off occurrence. The woman had long been living in fear of her husband.
“You ought to respect the woman who bore you two children,” the magistrate noted.
The court condemned the accused to a one-year effective jail term. He also placed the man under a treatment order for three years and issued a three-year protection order in favour of the victim.
“Can't I first be allowed to shower?” was the accused's concern. “Yes, you may certainly shower - in jail,” was the magistrate's parting remark.
Inspectors John Spiteri and Hubert Cini prosecuted. Lawyer Francine Abela was defence counsel.