Troubled man left drugs at Dalli’s house ‘thinking Conor McGregor lived there’

A man has admitted to having left a letter and a package containing drugs on European Commissioner Helena Dalli’s doorstep, with the court being told that he suffered from serious mental illness, and had done so, acting under the delusion that the house belonged to boxer Conor McGregor.

31-years-old Travis Xuereb from Sta Venera was arraigned under arrest before magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace on Tuesday, accused of trafficking cannabis, aggravated possession of cannabis and trespassing on Dalli’s property.

Xuereb was further accused of the online harassment of a third party between February 2023 to August 2024, misuse of electronic telecommunications equipment, breaching bail and recidivism.

Police Inspector Stephen Gulia, prosecuting together with inspectors Keith Rizzo and Paul Camilleri, explained that Xuereb had been arrested at his home after police recognised him from security footage, as the person who dropped off the parcel, which was found to contain drugs, and a letter outside Dalli‘s home in Marsaskala on July 31.

Inspector Gulia explained that it emerged during the investigation that Xuereb had been going through a mental health episode, for which he had been treated at MCH. Xuereb was readmitted after his arrest, before being released and re-arrested yesterday on the strength of another arrest warrant.

Lawyer Roberto Spiteri, assisting Xuereb together with lawyer Michael Sciriha, asked the inspector to explain what Xuereb had told him about this incident.

“On his part, the defendant thought that he had seen his idol, boxer Conor McGregor leaving the residence and had left the substances as a gift to McGregor. He had no intention of causing damage,” the inspector replied.

The prosecution confirmed that it had been a simple coincidence that the residence belonged to Dalli’s, and that the issue had been caused by the defendant’s hallucinations.

The defendant had also been harassing several other people, contacting them on Facebook and persisting when there was no reply.

Xuereb had subsequently been released from Mount Carmel and certified as fit to stand trial.

When asked by Spiteri as to whether Xuereb had also been under the delusion that popular radio show hosts JD and Martina had been talking about him on air, the inspector confirmed that this was true.

In reply to a question from lawyer Franco Debono, assisting the Dalli family as parte civile, the inspector also confirmed that the family were worried that the items had been left on their doorstep with malign intent, but added that it had emerged from the investigation that the defendant had not even been aware that they lived there.

Debono submitted that his clients had been “terrified” by the discovery and asked that a protection order be issued in favour of the Dalli family as well as the other victims.

When asked what the defendant would be pleading, Spiteri told the court that his client would be pleading guilty and requested a pre-sentencing report.

“We have an issue with Mount Carmel Hospital,” said the lawyer. “I cannot understand how a person like Xuereb is repeatedly being treated there for two or three weeks and then being discharged. We have a person here who needs stability and treatment,” he said.

Spiteri explained that Xuereb had been diagnosed as schizophrenic and asked that the court order that the defendant be examined as part of the preparation of the pre-sentencing report.

The court adjourned the case to a later date for sentencing.