A man facing trial for allegedly stabbing his estranged wife 13 years ago harassed and tormented the victim, even when she sought refuge at a shelter, a court heard on Tuesday.

A care worker at the shelter told the court the accused once told them, “Tonight I’ll go to jail at their [the victim’s] expense”, in testimony provided during the second day of proceedings which began Monday.

The 56-year-old man is accused of allegedly stabbing his estranged wife six times at her mother’s house in Birkirkara.

The court has banned publication of the parties’ names to safeguard the former couple’s children.

One of their daughters gave an emotional account of her mother’s turbulent relationship with her father, who she said continued to harass and threaten her even when the couple separated.

“I cannot recount all their arguments,” said the woman, recalling one occasion when she “opened the door and found him beating her [mother].”

“It broke me… I left my parents’ home at 16… I would see all my friends with their parents hand in hand… I left for my personal wellbeing too.”

The witness broke down in tears as she ran the jury through that fateful afternoon in May 2011.

“I sensed that something would happen,” said the woman, recalling how that day she had asked her boss to let her leave from work early, but he refused.

She finally took the bus to Birkirkara, getting off close to her maternal grandparents’ home where her mother was staying at the time. But on the way, she met a police inspector.

After asking the inspector what was wrong, she was asked to accompany them to the hospital, where she was met with the sight of “my mother, almost dead,” said the witness, overcome by tears.

Her grandmother, receiving medical treatment, was also at the hospital when she arrived, the witness said, recalling how her grandmother had cried helplessly she “tried to help her [the victim]”.

But the victim was “unresponsive” and the daughter was told to go home, the court heard. She later survived the attack. 

‘Splattered with blood’

Recalling the scene that greeted her when she returned to her grandparents’ home, she said it was “all splattered with blood…I fetched a bucket of water and tried to scrub away the blood. It wouldn’t go”.

“There were neighbours out in their balconies, all crying,” recalled the witness, momentarily pausing as her voice broke down.

Describing how her mother was “terrified” of the accused, the witness said he would not leave her in peace and followed her even when she took shelter at Dar Merħba Bik.

“Mummy was no match for him”, she said.

Her grandma would tell her mother to “be careful and take care of the kids,” said the witness, confirming that she had personally filed three police reports about the domestic abuse.

There were other reports, but she said she was “never contacted after filing the reports.”

The court heard how her father had an extramarital affair and another relationship after the alleged attempted murder.

Asked by defence lawyer Josephine Farrugia Mifsud about a different man linked to her mother, the witness confirmed that he was her “mother’s friend.”

“In my view she had every right in her position... She had spent months at Għabex [emergency shelter] with no access to family… Her only escape was by logging in for a while on Facebook.”

‘Tonight, I’ll go to jail at their expense’

As a victim of domestic violence, the victim was referred to Dar Merhba Bik through Aġenzija Appogg. She lived at the shelter from October 2010 to April the following year.

She told care workers that although she had long separated from her abusive husband, he still exercised control over her.

One of the care workers testified that “He [the accused] even used to ask her for money,” referring to the victim’s social security cheques.

During the victim’s spell at the Balzan shelter the accused would turn up outside the door insisting on speaking to his wife and made various threatening phone calls, the court heard.

He allegedly once told a care worker that “tonight, I’ll go to jail at their expense,” (Il-lejla nidhol il-habs minn fuq daharhom), seemingly in reference to his wife and daughter.

On another occasion, he allegedly told the same care worker to relay a message to his wife: “Tell her to get a [court] guarantee because once she steps out, I’ll land her in a wheelchair.”

The care workers reported each threat to the police. Whenever the threats were made directly to the victim, they empowered her to file a report.

Asked by the defence whether the victim left the shelter unaccompanied, the witnesses said she did “occasionally.”

“Sometimes she felt safe enough and went to see her children… because she missed them. Dar Merħba Bik is not a prison; we could not stop her."

However, in January 2011, four months before the knife attack, the victim was sent to another shelter in Gozo “for her security because her husband knew her whereabouts”, the witness said.

“She left Għabex [in Gozo] on April 1, 2011. She was going to her mother’s home.”

‘Not here; I’ll find you outside’

Victims of serious cases of domestic violence are accompanied by case officers from the Victim Support Agency when called to testify in court.

In 2011, the victim was escorted to court by two police officers who told the jury about an incident that prompted a further police report against the accused.

His estranged wife had just testified and was being escorted out of the courtroom when her husband confronted her, threatening, “I won’t find you here, but outside.”

The officers accompanied the woman to the Valletta police station where she filed a report against the accused.

The trial, presided over by Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera, continues this afternoon.

AG lawyers Kaylie Bonett and Kenneth Camilleri are prosecuting.

Lawyer Josephine Farrugia Mifsud is defence counsel.

Lawyer Alexandra Mamo is appearing parte civile as legal aid lawyer.