A man was handed a suspended sentence after being found guilty of kicking his partner in the head five years ago.

He was convicted of having grabbed her by the hair and kicking her in the face in a fit of rage during one of their several arguments. The two were not married.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit heard the woman recount the incident that happened on September 17, 2018, in Marsascala.

On the day, she had an argument with her partner during which he grabbed her by her hair, threw her on the ground, jumped on her ribs with both legs and then kicked her head.

During the assault, she suffered a laceration on her forehead. He refused to call an ambulance when she asked him to, telling her that she did not need any medical assistance.

She ran away from home, barefoot, to her friend’s house nearby, where they called an ambulance and also the police.

Magistrate Stafrace Zammit said the woman’s version was not rebutted in any way by the accused or his lawyers, so the court was taking this as the real version of events.

She found him guilty of having grievously injured his partner but cleared him of causing her to fear violence since the police did not manage to prove this charge.

Although the woman told the court that similar incidents had happened before, including while abroad, the court found that this was not substantiated with evidence.

The court jailed him for two years suspended for four and issued a protection order in favour of the woman, valid for three years.

Police Inspector Oriana Spiteri prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Mario Camilleri were defence counsel. 

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi appeared parte civile.