Poison-pen letter sender admits charges, to be sentenced next month

A Valletta man who had mailed threatening letters to several prominent government critics is to be sentenced in October after pleading guilty today, 10 months after being charged. 

The compilation of evidence against Joseph Mary Borg continued before magistrate Astrid May Grima this morning.

Borg, 71, from Valletta, had been arraigned under arrest last November, accused of sending threatening letters to the private addresses of Opposition MPs Beppe Fenech Adami, Jason Azzopardi, Karol Aquilina and Ryan Callus, Repubblika president Robert Aquilina, as well as newspaper columnist and government critic Prof. Kevin Cassar.

Prosecuting inspector Kevin Pulis summoned a number of forensic officers to testify about their analysis of the poison pen letters.  Between the three experts, nine reports were filed in court today.

Inspector Pulis also exhibited a copy of a judgement handed down by the Court of Criminal Appeal regarding the accused.

Lawyer Henry Antoncich, representing Borg in these proceedings, then addressed the court. He informed the magistrate that at this stage, the accused wished to admit the charges and requested a pre-sentencing report be drawn up. The prosecution did not object to the request.

Magistrate Astrid May Grima, presiding, told the lawyer to discuss the admission of guilt with his client, pointing out that the charges “were many and serious,” offering to allow the man to think about his plea until the next adjournment.

Antoncich sat down next to the accused for a few moments, after which he informed the magistrate that the accused wished to accept the court’s offer.

The court took note of Borg’s admission and adjourned the case to October 24 for confirmation of the plea and the submission of the presentencing report.