A man who flew into a rage when his partner name-dropped someone else, allegedly grabbing the woman by the hair while threatening to cut off her head, has been denied bail.

The incident occurred in the very early hours of Sunday when the woman returned home at around 1:30am.

When she mentioned a “third party” her partner allegedly “went crazy,” explained Inspector Audrey Micallef who pressed charges against the 49-year old Tarxien resident on Monday afternoon.

The man allegedly grabbed his partner by the hair, dragged her to a balcony and threw a metal ashtray and foodstuffs at her.

Then making a throat-slitting gesture, he allegedly threatened, “tomorrow I’ll chop your head off.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty upon arraignment.

A request for bail was objected to by the prosecution because of the risk of tampering with evidence and the fact that he was under bail conditions in relation to a separate case.

The prosecutor explained that the woman had wanted to break up and had told the accused to move out of her home. But he refused to leave.

Defence lawyers Nicholas Mifsud and Andre’ Portelli countered that the defendant had an alternative address and produced his daughter as witness and possible third party guarantor. She briefly took the witness stand to confirm that her father had the keys to her paternal grandparents’ home which was presently vacant. She was willing to step in as third party guarantor for bail purposes.

But the prosecution objected, explaining that when police went to the alleged victim’s home, her son opened the door.

When asked about the whereabouts of the defendant, he replied “I don’t know.”

In actual fact, the suspect was found hiding inside.

After hearing submissions and after taking note of the circumstances of the case and the defendant’s criminal record, Magistrate Noel Bartolo turned down the request for bail since there was a risk of tampering with evidence, the alleged victim and other civilians were still to testify and also because of the nature of the charges.