A man who grievously injured his partner during an argument inside a hotel room was faced with a bill for damages suffered by third parties.

Anthony Graham Field, a 34-year old sales manager from the UK, was staying with his partner and the woman's young son at a St Paul's Bay hotel when the incident broke out last Wednesday evening.

A row between the couple escalated to the point where the man, evidently in a drunken rage, threw a plate at the woman and struck her in the face. She needed sutures.

During the incident, witnessed by the young child, the man had even flung a heavy suitcase out of the hotel balcony, where it landed onto a parked vehicle, causing some €118 in damages.

Prosecuting Inspector Godwin Scerri exhibited estimates of all the damages caused, including a further €392 suffered by the hotel.

The aggressor was arrested and charged with grievously injuring the woman without intending to place her life in danger, insulting or threatening and damaging third party property.

The downcast man admitted to his wrongdoing, breaking down in silent tears as the victim entered the courtroom, her face visibly bruised and swollen.

Inspector Scerri explained that the accused had seemed “very drunk” at the time of the incident, but had cooperated fully with the police, claiming that it had been “a one-off incident”.

Moreover, he wished to leave Malta immediately, the court was told.

A request for bail pending judgment was not objected to by the prosecution which, however, insisted upon a Protection Order in favour of the victim and her son.

The request was duly upheld by the court, presided over by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli, against a deposit of €500, a personal guarantee of €2,000, a curfew between 10pm and 8am and an order to sign the bail book every day until the judgment was given.

The case was adjourned to Tuesday for judgment, pending which the accused was to settle all damages.

Lawyer Yanika Camilleri was legal aid counsel.