Man accused of threatening to kill former partner released on bail

A 33-year-old man accused of threatening to kill his former girlfriend if she reported him to police was released on bail on Tuesday. 

The prosecution told the court that the victim broke off the relationship with the accused a week before he was charged. 

The accused, refusing to accept the break-up, phoned his former partner and asked her to meet with him. The prosecution said that the partner had refused but the accused kept insisting until she acquiesced. 

The man left his Birkirkara residence on 1 March and caught a bus to St Paul’s Bay to meet his former partner.

The two met shortly after and started to argue. The victim insisted that she did not want the relationship between them to carry on and said that she would report him to the police if he continued to harass her. 

The prosecution said that the man threatened to kill her and run her over if she reported him to the police. He also threatened her by invoking her children into the conversation, the court heard. 

The victim then proceeded to file a police report at the Mosta police station. The accused admitted to threatening her during police interrogations. 

Legal aid lawyer Christopher Chircop asked for bail. 

The prosecution insisted on a protection order on behalf of the victim and for the court to order the accused not to go to the victim’s locality or anywhere close to her. 

“We have a person here who resides with his grandmother; he takes care of her. He lives in Birkirkara, so not close to the alleged victim,” the defence argued. 

The court, presided over by magistrate Joe Mifsud, granted bail subject to a curfew, where the accused is not allowed to leave home between 10pm and 5am.  

The court also issued a protection order for the victim.  

The accused is to sign a bail book once a week, pay a €500 deposit and a personal guarantee of €10,000.  

Inspector Paula Ciantar prosecuted.