No bail for escapee ‘who breached nearly all his bail conditions’

Lawyers representing a suspected drug trafficker accused of breaching nearly every bail condition imposed on him have argued that being charged with breaching bail should not result in an automatic refusal of bail.


Jason Micallef, 22, from Cospicua, had been on bail for the past two and a half years after being charged with drug trafficking in December 2014. Amongst the conditions imposed by the court were obligations to sign a bail book at regular intervals, not change his address and attend court sittings.

But when he started to fail keep his bail-book appointments with the Sliema police station in February and March, the police became suspicious. They discovered that he no longer resided at the Gzira address specified in his bail conditions and had moved to Cospicua without informing the police of this.

On 17 March, Micallef had failed to show up for a court sitting, his mother informing the magistrate that he was unable to attend because of illness that day. That same day, he had gone to the police station and signed his bail book.

Prosecuting police inspector Jonathan Ransley explained how he had then summoned the accused to the Sliema police station for questioning and, suspecting that the man had driven there despite having no driving licence, had sent an officer to accompany Micallef to his car.

But once outside the station, Micallef had allegedly pushed the policeman and fled. He was pursued and rearrested a short while later.

Before magistrate Ian Farrugia this morning, inspector Ransley charged Micallef with committing an offence against police officer acting in the line of duty, escaping from lawful custody, driving a car without a driver's licence, breaching his bail conditions and relapsing.


Defence lawyer Marion Camilleri entered a plea of not guilty and requested bail. The principal prosecution witnesses are police officers, she argued and therefore there was no risk of the accused attempting to influence them.

With respect to the charge of breaching bail, the lawyer argued that the accused was also presumed innocent of this charge. There was no risk of him tampering with evidence and there were no witnesses he could suborn other than police officers, she submitted.

Inspector Ransley pointed out that Micallef had breached nearly all of his bail conditions and had “sent his mother to lie to the court.” “She should count herself lucky that she hadn't testified under oath,” he said.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia revoked the man's bail as the accused was untrustworthy and did not offer the guarantees required at law.