Man released on bail after threatening his younger sister and terrorising his family

A man in his twenties has been released on bail after being arraigned on domestic violence charges, accused of threatening his younger sister and terrorising his family.

The young man, who is also understood to have previously been involved in similar incidents, was accused of threatening three members of his family on 14 May, coercing them, causing them to fear violence, harassing three, with whom he also resided.

He was also accused of attacking his sister and uttering insults and threats.

Police Inspector Colin Sheldon, prosecuting, told the court that on 13 May, at around 10:30pm the police had received a phone call from the man’s younger sister, who reported that the defendant had grabbed her arm during an argument and that she feared for her safety.

When contacted by the police, the man’s parents and siblings said that they were so afraid of the defendant’s behaviour that they would often lock themselves in their respective rooms and avoid communicating with him.

When he called the man in for questioning, the inspector said he felt it would not be safe to send the man home after questioning. The man’s father, who drove the defendant to the police station, had also told him as much, said the inspector.

The father had added that during the drive, the defendant had passed a comment about doing something to his sister, which led the Inspector to decide not to take the risk. After consulting with the magistrate on duty yesterday, an arrest warrant was issued and the defendant was taken into custody while at the Domestic Violence Unit.

Before the start of the arraignment, presiding magistrate Monica Vella upheld a request for a ban on the publication of names of the defendant and his family, made by parte civile lawyer Charles Mercieca. The court-imposed ban prohibits the identification of the defendant or the alleged victims on any media “and includes the town in which they reside and all other connotations.”

The defendant, who told the court that he was not employed, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Bail was requested.

Inspector Sheldon asked the court to issue a protection order if it were to grant the man bail. Mercieca told the court that the man’s grandmother was prepared to allow him to live with her for the time being.

Bugeja confirmed that the man was currently residing with his grandmother. If the court did not deem this acceptable, he could also live with his uncle as an alternative.

At the end of the day, he will have bail conditions, which if he breaches, he will face even worse consequences, argued the lawyer.

The young man’s grandmother was called to the stand after the court was told she had offered to take him in for the time being.

Asked by the magistrate whether she thought the defendant could repeat the alleged crime to her, the woman replied that she felt it was unlikely. “I don’t think so,” the woman replied. “Even when we talk on the phone, he always tells me ‘you know that I love you nanna.’ We have always had a good relationship.”

The magistrate released the defendant from arrest, ordering him to sign a bail book three times a week, secured by a €500 deposit and a €5,000 personal guarantee, telling him that she was doing so on the strength of his grandmother’s testimony. “God forbid I hear you did something like this to her, too.”

Besides placing the defendant under a treatment and supervision order for the duration of the proceedings, the magistrate also issued a protection order in favour of the alleged victims and warned the man to cooperate with his probation officer.