Suspicion of insult led to Easter Sunday knife incident, court hears

Accused threatened man with a kitchen knife after suspecting he had made fun of him

File photo
File photo

A man from Senglea has been remanded after being accused of threatening a man with a kitchen knife yesterday morning, after the man allegedly had made fun of him.

Ronald Gatt, a 44-year-old deliveryman and storekeeper, was arraigned before magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace on Monday by police inspectors Darren Buhagiar and Gabriel Kitcher.

They charged Gatt with using violence to compel the man to do his bidding, causing him to fear violence would be used against him, carrying a knife in a public place, without a police permit, illegally detaining the man with intent to commit extortion, as well as with insulting and threatening him.

Sources indicated that the defendant had confronted the alleged victim with a kitchen knife in a bid to intimidate him, after suspecting the man to have made fun of him.

Gatt, who told the court that he resides in Sliema, pleaded not guilty. His lawyer Joe Brincat, requested bail for Gatt.

Inspector Buhagiar objected to the request, arguing that the crime was clearly premeditated. “He brought a knife along with him. The case is serious, not a minor one, and I fear that if released on bail, he will try and contact the witness again, as there is a history between them.”

The prosecution also pointed out that the alleged victim had yet to testify and that the Sliema address indicated by the defendant was, in fact, rented.

Brincat counter-argued that there was no basis to fear he would seek out the alleged victim again, as the fact that no attempt to stab him had taken place meant that Gatt had stopped himself and controlled his anger, even during the commission of the offence.

The defendant had also cooperated with the police and had a steady job, argued the lawyer.

The court, however, rejected the bail request and ordered Gatt be remanded in custody.