A father-of-two who allegedly beat his wife during a row that broke out after he got home drunk was denied bail on Tuesday afternoon.

The 43-year old Serbian handyman sat in the dock, head bent, holding his hands to his face, sniffling as the arraignment got underway, while his victim stood next to her lawyers, her face bearing reddish weals.

Prosecuting Inspector Sherona Buhagiar explained that on Sunday evening the woman had filed a report at the police domestic violence unit claiming that she was beaten by her husband after he returned home drunk at around 6pm.

The couple had two kids aged three and five.

That evening she had asked her husband to help her bathe the younger child but he refused.

An argument broke out and that was when the accused allegedly head-butted her and slapped her on the face “some 20 times.”

He had also hit her on the head, warning her to “be quiet or I’ll kill you.”

“If I want, you won’t see the face of the earth,” the man allegedly threatened.

That violent episode allegedly unfolded in the presence of the couple’s kids, prompting the 5-year-old to step in, desperately trying to defend his mum.

The victim had presented a medical certificate which confirmed the injuries as slight and her risk assessment was classified as “medium risk.”

She also told police that she feared her husband.

The man pleaded not guilty to grievously injuring his wife, insulting and threatening her and causing her to fear violence.

His lawyer, Malcolm Mifsud, requested a ban on the accused’s name so as to protect the identity of his minor children.

The request was not objected to by the prosecution and parte civile lawyers who also sought a ban on the victim’s name.

Magistrate Leonard Caruana upheld both requests.

The defence then requested bail, arguing that the accused had a clean criminal record.

He had no previous brush with the law in the ten years since he started living in Malta.`

He also could provide an alternative address for bail purposes.

A man who rents a Qawra property testified that the accused was the friend of his daughter’s boyfriend and he was willing to “take him in.”

The defence pointed out further that the court could impose stringent conditions, even possibly barring the accused from going to San Gwann where his wife and kids lived.

The prosecution countered that not only were the offences serious but there was also the risk of tampering with evidence since the victim was still to testify.

The accused was a third-country national and presented a risk of absconding.

After hearing submissions the court turned down the request for bail but urged the prosecution to produce its witnesses as soon as possible.

The court also issued a protection order until final judgment.

Lawyers Maxine Gatt and Nicole Sciberras appeared parte civile.