A heated family argument sparked by a misunderstanding has landed a woman with critical injuries and her alleged aggressor behind bars under preventive arrest.

The episode took place on Wednesday afternoon in a Siggiewi residence when Christopher Cachia, a 35-year old Wasteserv employee, called at the home of the parents of his estranged wife to pick up his young son.

He had apparently done so in reply to an earlier call by the child’s mother telling him that the boy wanted to spend time with his father.

Yet when the man called for his son at the grandparents’ residence, the boy refused to leave, giving rise to a verbal argument between the father, the grandfather and the boy’s aunt.

The man, allegedly flew into a rage and flung a piece of wood at his wife’s sister, hitting her on her side. Later in hospital, it emerged that the woman had sustained an injury to her spleen which caused internal bleeding and left her fighting for her life.

The man was arrested and marched to court on Thursday, his right arm bandaged and held in a sling.

He pleaded not guilty to the attempted willful homicide of his sister-in-law, with having grievously injured her, assaulted his father-in-law and breached the peace.

Defence lawyer Franco Debono, while making submissions on bail, pointed out that his client had been at the receiving end too since the family members had turned upon him, inflicting injuries which were clearly evident.

The man was currently undergoing normal separation proceedings, lived elsewhere and had never intended to injure his estranged wife’s sister.

Prosecuting officer Inspector Roderick Agius agreed that this had all been an unfortunate incident, sparked off through a ‘misunderstanding’, yet the accused had known all along that he was no longer welcome at his in-laws’ home.

Moreover, there had already been a milder episode last Sunday which had been brushed aside by the family.

Now that the victim was in intensive care, she was in a vulnerable position and could possibly be approached by her alleged aggressor.

Duty magistrate Gabriella Vella, in the light of the serious nature of the charges and the man’s apparent lack of trustworthiness, turned down the request for bail.

Lawyer Marion Camilleri also assisted the accused.