A man who allegedly forced his wife to flee their home at night during a row was back in court on Wednesday for allegedly sending messages to his wife's employer in defiance of a court order.

The woman had told a court in July that she had rushed out of the house at night wrapped solely in a bedsheet after she was assaulted by her husband.

The 54-year-old man from St Paul's Bay was eventually granted bail under certain conditions, including a warning not to approach or communicate with the prosecution witnesses in any manner.  

But he allegedly sent a series of SMSs to his wife’s boss. 

On Wednesday he was charged with harassing the wife’s employer, insulting and threatening both of them, breaching bail as well as a protection order in favour of his wife.

He pleaded not guilty.

The man’s lawyer, Maria Meilaq Schembri,  argued that there was no breach of the protection order.

She said the defendant had closely abided by bail conditions over the past three weeks and noted that the phone where the calls were supposed to have been made from had not been found. She said his client only missed observing bail conditions once, and that was on Tuesday when he needed to visit a health centre.

“Now he has understood that next time he must inform the inspector,” said the lawyer. 

But prosecutor Omar Zammit countered that the prosecution had ample evidence and did not charge the defendant simply over “frivolous allegations.” 

A request for bail was objected to by the prosecution not only because a number of civilians still have to testify, including the defendant’s son, but also because the defendant was not truly living with his brother as he claimed.

He has been living at the matrimonial home, said the inspector.

Magistrate Lara Lanfranco turned down the request because of the various civilian witnesses to testify and also in view of the circumstances of the case leading to this arrest.

Lawyers Jason Azzopardi, Kris Busietta and Alessandro Farrugia are appearing for the woman.