Cospicua man remanded in custody over false report and threats

A man from Cospicua has been remanded in custody after falsely accusing his sister of theft and threatening her and his mother.

The unemployed 26-year-old appeared in the dock before magistrate Francesco Depasquale this morning.

He was charged with having smashed furniture during an argument inside his mother’s house on September 4th and with having falsely reported his sister to the police yesterday, for a theft which he knew she had not committed. He was further charged with fabricating evidence, causing voluntary damage to his mother’s property, harassing his mother and sister, threatening them and breaching the peace.

Additional charges of recidivism and breaching a probation order were also made against the man.

Police Inspector Josric Mifsud informed the court that the accused did not have a fixed address, to which the accused added that he had been kicked out of his home a week ago but still had somewhere to live.

Lawyer Yanika Camilleri requested bail, which was objected to by the prosecution.

“The victims are his mother and sister. He has just said that he has no fixed address. He has already gone back to his mother’s house and threatened her repeatedly. I don’t want him to do something worse.”

The defence suggested a protection order, pointing out that a woman had offered to allow the accused to reside with her in Senglea, but the court, on account of the serious nature of the charges, his lack of fixed address and the fact that the witnesses are family members and have not yet testified, turned down the bail request.

The court urged the prosecution to present all of its evidence as soon as possible.