A man has been charged with threatening to kill his ex-partner and their seven-month-old son if he was not allowed to be in the life of the child.

Magistrate Lara Lanfranco heard how the woman told police that her ex-partner threatened he would “slit her open, from her private parts to her mouth, with a penknife” and kill their child unless he was allowed to remain in their life.

The man, a 31-year-old from Cospicua, pleaded not guilty to threatening and slightly injuring the woman, causing her to fear for her life and that of her child, and breaching bail conditions.

Police Inspector Christian Cauchi said that on Thursday police received an email that was sent to Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri. The email claimed that a woman was being beaten up and police were not doing anything. 

Police contacted the woman and called her to the domestic violence unit where she filed a report against her ex-partner. 

She said they had been together for about two-and-a-half years and had a seven-month son. Their relationship was tumultuous.

She said that in June they had an argument in her Cospicua home and he punched her in her left eye.

She went to the health centre where a doctor certified that she had slight injuries.

She claimed that the accused destroyed the certificate when he went to her home again sometime after. The inspector called the doctor who confirmed the eye injuries since the medical certificate could not be found.

The woman also claimed that on July 28, her ex went to her home and insisted that he wanted to remain involved in their son’s life.

“She said that he told her he would slit her open, from her private parts till her mouth, with a penknife and that he would kill the boy if he could not enjoy being with him,” the inspector said.

The inspector said that the man was arrested and denied the allegations saying that his partner was still in touch with him via email. He said she sent him chats with other men to tease and provoke him. The inspector added that the accused was currently out on bail and had been given a three-year probation on similar cases.

Magistrate Lanfranco granted him bail on the condition that he does not approach his ex-partner and the child and was bound by a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €5,000.

The court issued a protection order prohibiting him from going anywhere near the woman and baby. 

Names are not being published, by court order, to protect the identity of the mother and child.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit represented the accused.