An alleged domestic incident involving a columnist and her husband, which grew into a tirade against a magistrate, had a happy ending in court yesterday when the man withdrew the complaint against his wife.

The case was initiated by Daphne Caruana Galizia's husband, Peter, when he had filed a police report claiming he had been slightly injured by his wife during an argument.

Magistrate Anthony Vella, who was meant to preside over the case in the Family Court, announced yesterday he had received an affidavit from Dr Caruana Galizia declaring he had withdrawn his complaint and that, therefore, the case was exhausted.

The couple was not present for the hearing.

The incident had led to a blog in which Ms Caruana Galizia said Dr Scerri Herrera told a group of dinner party guests at her home that a story about the domestic incident would be broken by a newspaper. In that same entry and in others that followed, Ms Caruana Galizia made a number of comments on the magistrate. The magistrate then made a formal complaint to the police on grounds of harassment and defamation and the matter is now before the courts.

On Monday, Magistrate Scerri Herrera testified, denying a number of accusations made by Ms Caruana Galizia in her blogs.

The magistrate is set to continue her testimony on April 12.