Man jailed after terrorising girlfriend in presence of five-year-old son

A man on bail for murder has had his bail revoked was jailed for an incident where he terrorised his girlfriend in the presence of her five-year-old son.

Ahmed Rasem A. Franko who is also known as Ahmed Franka, 35, from Libya had broken down the door to his girlfriend’s flat in Marsaxlokk, suspecting her of being unfaithful.

He was charged with causing his girlfriend to fear violence and damage to her property, inflicting criminal damage, breaching the peace, relapsing and breaching bail.

Franko, who had told the court that he worked as a kitchen hand, resided in Marsaxlokk with the victim at the time.

In court, the victim had said that she had forgiven the accused but wanted him to be forbidden from approaching her. She refused to testify, leading to the prosecution being unable to prove the course of conduct necessary for the charge relating to causing fear of violence to stand.

Franko had been released on bail in May 2018 after being charged with the murder of a Colombian man in Paceville in 2016. Whilst on bail for that offence, the man was jailed in 2017 for the attempted rape of a Swedish girl in Paceville which had taken place in 2015.

In a judgment handed down this morning, Magistrate Gabriella Vella found the Libyan guilty of criminal damage, breaching the peace, recidivism and breaching his bail conditions and jailed him for 14 months. A one-year protection order was also issued in favour of the victim.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel to the accused.

Superintendent Trevor Micallef prosecuted.