Child custody row: Man accused of attempting to murder estranged wife’s sister

A woman is in intensive care after what appears to be a misunderstanding over child custody led to her sister’s estranged husband hitting her with a piece of wood.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella presided over the arraignment of Christopher Cachia, 35, from Siggiewi on Thursday afternoon. Inspector Roderick Agius charged the man with attempted murder, grievously injuring the woman, attacking her father, breaching the peace and relapsing, following a violent domestic incident in Siggiewi yesterday afternoon.

The woman is being held at the Intensive Therapy Unit with a ruptured spleen after she was struck in the side by a piece of wood either thrown or wielded by the accused.

Inspector Agius explained how the police had been called out to a report of a domestic argument in Siggiewi yesterday and had found the woman and her father. She had explained that her sister’s estranged husband had come to pick up his son and the son had refused to go with him. When the woman had turned to go check with her sister what the arrangement was, she was struck in her side with a block of wood. She was taken to hospital where it was discovered that she was suffering from internal bleeding caused by a ruptured spleen.

The man was arrested in hospital, where he was being treated for injuries he suffered in the incident. He appeared in court with a bandaged forearm.

The court was told the incident was preceded by another incident on Sunday when the accused had allegedly broken into his ex father in-law’s house and argued with him.

“This all broke out over a misunderstanding,” explained Inspector Agius. “The mother had told him he could pick up his son and his son said he didn’t want to go with him, so her sister offered to call her up to check but this didn’t happen as the incident then took place.”

The accused, who said he worked at Wasteserv, pleaded not guilty.

“He went to pick up his son and when he went he was attacked himself,” submitted lawyer Franco Debono, defence counsel together with lawyer Marion Camilleri. He agreed that it was a misunderstanding. “He was defending himself. He went for son with all the good intentions in the world and ended up getting attacked and then defended himself. This ‘attempted murder’… he grabbed a piece of wood and threw it at her. This is one of those cases where the charges will doubtless be reduced by the AG because they were exaggerated.”

He requested bail. “There is no intention to kill. If it emerges that he was attacked and defended himself what then? He didn’t go to cause trouble, he went to pick up his son.”

Inspector Agius interjected, pointing out that the lawyer was contradicting his client’s own statement to police. “He wasn’t getting beaten up. They attacked him after he threw the wood,” said the prosecution.

“The accused knew he was a persona non grata and entered the residence of the person. He didn’t wait outside, he went inside and a commotion broke out. In his statement he says ‘I lost it and as her back was turned towards me, I threw a piece of wood at her and hit her back.’ We are submitting that it was a blow, not a throw, however,” concluded the inspector.

Inspector Agius objected to bail, saying the accused knew where the woman was being treated in hospital and had been arrested in the area. “In under a week we had two incidents. One of his previous convictions is grievously injuring his estranged wife who he is separating from. We have a picture of untrustworthiness and a man who cannot control his temper here.”

The prosecution asked the court not to forget the vulnerable witness in ITU who could easily be approached and suborned.

Bail was denied, the court ruling that, although the accused is presumed innocent at this stage, in the light of the nature of the charges against him and due to the fact that he was “not a trustworthy person in the eyes of the court,” he ought to be remanded in custody.

The sister’s estranged husband went to pick up his son and the son refused to go with him.