A man with a history of aggressive behaviour has been sent to anger management classes after a magistrate found him guilty of beating up his wife when she refused his sexual advances in bed.

The man, whose name is not being published to protect his victims, was handed a nine-month prison term suspended for 18 months by Magistrate Rachel Montebello.

The magistrate gave him a clear warning: this was one of the last chances he was being given to change his ways.

The court heard the harrowing story of how, one evening in January last year, the couple were in bed together when the man’s wife refused his sexual advances. He did not take that reaction lightly.

He slapped and punched his wife before dragging her out of the bedroom by her hair.

As he continued to hit and kick her, he forced her out onto the street. She managed to grab her car keys and drove to the health centre with a swollen eye and blood dripping down her face.

Drove to health centre with a swollen eye and blood on her face

She contacted the man’s mother and sister who filed a police report.

Appoġġ social workers were called in and drew up a risk assessment.

The court heard how the man had a long history of violence, including against his parents, wife and daughter, and had been convicted of various such offences in the past.

The man’s wife told the court that she was often afraid to refuse his sexual advances at night because it was not the first time he reacted violently to the refusal. The court noted that whenever things did not go as the accused expected or wished, he would react angrily by shouting, beating and hair-pulling.

This had happened to his daughter when he disapproved of the man she was dating and when she had forgotten to feed his animals.

“Evidently, the defendant did not learn a thing from the various opportunities given to him to reform himself,” Magistrate Montebello said as she handed down a suspended sentence.

The court also issued a protection order in favour of the man’s wife and daughter.

In handing down judgment, the court said the incident took place before the recent amendments to the law with regard to domestic violence.

The new laws provide for stiffer punishment.

Police inspector Roderick Attard prosecuted while lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia appeared for the defendant.