Man deemed to be extreme danger to his former girlfriend denied bail

Accused had challenged the victim to report him to the police over domestic violence, telling her he was ‘prepared to spend a couple of days in prison and then kill her once he got out’

By: maltatoday.com

Sep 12 2024
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Man deemed to be extreme dang

A court has denied bail to a man whom social workers had assessed to be an “extreme danger” to his ex-girlfriend.

The 38-year-old unemployed defendant, who lives in Marsa, pleaded not guilty to having threatened and harassed his ex-girlfriend during his arraignment on domestic violence charges before magistrate Rachel Montebello on Thursday.

Police Inspector Audrey Micallef told the court that the woman had filed a report at the Domestic Violence Unit yesterday, telling the police that her former partner had been sending her a stream of offensive messages on Facebook messenger and over the phone.

She had explained that he would insist that she answer immediately whenever he called her and prohibited her from having intimate relationships or male friends.

In recent days, particularly on September 9 and 11, he had bombarded her with insulting messages, said the inspector. During one of those calls, he had challenged the victim to report him to the police, telling her he was “prepared to spend a couple of days in prison and then kill her once he got out.”

Police officers had subsequently arrested the man in Marsa and released a statement.

Magistrate Rachel Montebello, leafing through the case file observed that a risk assessment had classified the situation as “Level 19. Extreme danger.”

A plea of not guilty was filed. Defence lawyer Mark Busuttil requested bail.

The prosecution objected to his release in view of the repeated threats to kill the woman, made over several days. His criminal record featured past convictions related to domestic violence incidents involving a former partner in one case, and in another, his parents.

Busuttil argued that jurisprudence had established that words said in anger should not be taken literally. “Let us put things in the proper perspective. Heaven forbid that every time you argue with your wife, she can report you to the police and you are arrested.”

The couple had been together for several years, said the lawyer, describing the argument as “a row over issues of the heart.”

The court however denied bail as the victim had not yet testified, which could lead to risk of interference in her testimony. The magistrate added that the incident report and the defendant’s criminal record led it to “sincerely feel that there is a risk that the defendant will not observe the conditions imposed on him by the court.”

Inspector Audrey Micallef Lawyer Mark Busuttil was appointed to assist the defendant as legal aid counsel.