A man has been given a suspended jail term following a physical argument between his cohabiting partner.

British-national Darren Jon Bunting was given a three-month jail term suspended for 18 months after he admitted in court that, without intent to kill or endanger the life of his partner, caused her slight bodily harm in the course of the scuffle which broke out inside the couple’s Birżebbuġa apartment some days before Christmas.

Upon the man’s guilty plea, the court, presided over by magistrate Rachel Montebello, pronounced his conviction, taking note of various factors when meting out punishment.

The court observed that “the physical scuffle appears to have been the first physical argument that took place between the parties during their relationship,” and noted that the injuries inflicted had been medically certified as “of mere small consequence, at least physically, to said injured party”.

The court also took note of the accused’s early guilty plea, his “untarnished” criminal record as well as the fact that the man had expressed his wish to relocate to his home country, leaving Malta for good.

In light of these considerations, the court gave the suspended sentence and, for the safety of the victim, bound the accused against a personal guarantee of €500 applicable for 12 months.