A man who kicked down the door of his partner’s apartment incensed by a suspicion that the woman was cheating on him was given a suspended sentence and ordered to make good the damage caused.

Michael John Bland, a 34-year old Canadian-born Valletta resident, admitted on Wednesday to turning up at his partner’s Msida flat in a drunken state.

His shouting and banging was answered by the woman’s female flatmate who attempted to turn him away by telling him that his partner was out.

However, the accused apparently would have none of that and, acting upon the suspicion that the woman was actually inside with some other man kicked open the door of the rented premises.

The police intervened, halting the culprit in his drunken rampage and taking him to the local police station under arrest.

It was a sober and calm man who stood before duty magistrate Anthony Vella on Wednesday admitting to willfully damaging third party property, verbally threatening the woman inside the flat and being drunk in public.

Upon the accused’s own admission, the court declared him guilty and gave him a six-month jail term suspended for three years while placing him under a treatment order and a supervision order for three years so as to kick his drinking habit.

The court ordered the man to make good the damages caused at his partner’s flat, forking out some €500 within six months.

Inspector Mark A. Mercieca prosecuted. Lawyer Michael Camilleri was defence counsel.