Man denied bail over alleged threats and assault on Karl Stagno Navarra

“What am I going to do with my daughter?” protested the father of a young girl, after he was denied bail on charges of insulting and threatening ONE TV host Karl Stagno Navarra over an unpaid debt.

Maintenance worker Jean Pierre Schembri, 47, from Zebbug, was arraigned under arrest before Magistrate Giannella Camilleri Busuttil on Friday, on charges of harassment, intimidation, insult, criminal damage, assault resulting in slight injury, and offences relating to the misuse of telecommunications equipment.

Police inspector Doriette Cuschieri told the court that Stagno Navarra had filed a report at the Qormi police station on Wednesday, claiming to have been receiving messages containing “insults and threats” from the defendant for several months. Stagno Navarra also claimed that the defendant was loitering in the vicinity of his home and his workplace. 

After the police had called Schembri in for questioning, Stagno Navarra had once again called the police, this time claiming that the defendant had gone to his house carrying a crash helmet, with which he had smashed a vase, before allegedly attacking and slightly injuring the TV presenter.

Schembri was later contacted by the police and told to go to the police station, where he was arrested.

Inspector Cuschieri requested a publication ban on the name of the victim, but defence lawyer Lennox Vella objected, arguing that there was no legal basis for a publication ban and telling the court that Stagno Navarra “had 60 other cases just like this.”

The court subsequently rejected the request for the publication ban.

Schembri pleaded not guilty and requested bail, which was objected to by the prosecution, which argued that the victim had not yet testified and was therefore at risk of subornation. Schembri was also being accused of breaching the terms of a conditional discharge, added the inspector.

Vella said that it was an objective fact that his client had no drug or alcohol problems, had a fixed address and worked with AWAS, the association for the welfare of asylum seekers. 
Schembri was also the sole custodian of his daughter, added the lawyer, arguing that were bail not to be granted, Schembri would suffer repercussions which were more serious than the crime that he was being accused of.

He explained that the root of the problem was a car which Schembri had sold to Stagno Navarra, for which the TV host had never paid him for. Schembri had filed a judicial letter and obtained an executive title over the vehicle. “[Stagno Navarra] tells him to go collect the money from here and from there, always for nothing, and then threatens my client with having his daughter placed in State care.” 

Vella told the court that he feared that his client was being set up to prevent him from pursuing Stagno Navarro for the outstanding debt. 
The notoriously bad debtor was not at risk of harm, argued Vella. “As soon as my client spoke to [Stagno Navarra], he went running to the police station and there is nothing stopping him from running to the police again, if need be.” 

The defence also submitted that there were insufficient grounds to merit remanding the man in custody, especially in view of his family and employment situation. “At the time that my client was supposedly smashing vases, he had been picking up his daughter from school and I have a signed school register to prove it,”  said the lawyer.

The court rejected the bail request, however, noting that the defendant had previous convictions for similar offences. A protection order was also issued, prohibiting the man from following, visiting or contacting Stagno Navarra.

“What am I going to do with my daughter?” he said to his lawyer when bail was denied. “I'm going to go mad!”

In a last ditch attempt to help his client, the lawyer informed the court that Schembri was “contemplating withdrawing his plea and would be pleading guilty to avoid his daughter being taken into care.” The court dismissed that submission, curtly informing the lawyer that the decree denying bail had already been given.

Vella told the court that he felt perplexed by the decision and informed the magistrate that just last week, Stagno Navarra had borrowed €50 from the man he claimed had been harassing him for months.