Bail denied for man charged with continuously harassing, insulting ex-partner

A father has been charged with harassing and stalking his estranged partner in connection with an ongoing dispute over parental access to a child.

Inspector Omar Zammit arraigned the 30-year-old man from Mosta before magistrate Gabriella Vella on Friday, charging him with harassment, stalking and threatening the woman, as well as with damaging her phone and slightly injuring her. The defendant was also accused of recidivism.

The inspector explained that at around 1:00am on January 18, the police Domestic Violence Unit was informed that a woman had just filed her third police report in two days, alleging harassment, messages, insults and stalking by her estranged former partner. The reports had been filed on the 9th, 16th and 18th of January, he said.

Inspector Zammit added that the defendant had also gone to the police station several times to try and find out where his son was.

Lawyer Edmund Cuschieri, representing the defendant, asked the inspector what the source of the disquiet was. The police inspector explained that it was a dispute over access to the couple’s young son, who was just one year, eight months old.

After the man pleaded not guilty to the charges, Cuschieri requested bail for his still-simmering client, whose body language spoke of barely-contained rage.  A ban on the publication of the names of the parties was also requested.

Inspector Zammit did not object to the request for a media ban insofar as the alleged victims were concerned but contested with regards to the defendant’s name, arguing that the proceedings against him were open to the public.

The court agreed and banned the publication of the name of the alleged victim, but denied it with respect to the accused, Justin Chetcuti.

The prosecution objected to the bail request on the grounds of the defendant’s untrustworthiness. “The police had repeatedly tried to speak to him, but he would always make excuses to avoid meeting them,” said the inspector.

Cuschieri submitted that bail was the rule not the exception. “Today the defendant has understood that he cannot continue down this path. These cases aren’t usually arraigned under arrest,” said the lawyer.

“I don’t know which world you are living in but domestic violence arraignments happen in every single duty,” replied the court.

Bail was denied, the court ruling that the request for the man’s release was premature. A request that he be held at Mount Carmel was also denied, with the court saying that this decision was up to the prison authorities.