Man arrested for breaking down family member's door and threatening with a knife

A 53-year-old man from Birżebbuġa has been remanded in custody after being accused of breaking down a family member’s front door, following an argument where he had allegedly brandished a knife.

Manuel Barbara was arraigned before Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi, accused of having damaged the door of a Birżebbuġa residence at around 3am on Wednesday.

He was also accused of criminal damage and threatening the owner of the residence in question with a knife and insulting or threatening him in the hours before.

Barbara was further charged with carrying a knife in public without a police permit and recidivism.

The court was told that the incident had taken place following an argument that broke out at a family event on Tuesday night. Barbara had gone to the house in question after the attendees, including the victim, had all gone home.

Prosecuting police inspectors Paul Camilleri and Antonello Magri explained how the police had gone to the scene after receiving a late-night report about a person smashing a residence’s front door, finding Barbara in the vicinity.

Barbara was arrested and found to be carrying a knife in his hand with another knife in his pocket. He was taken to a medical facility to be treated for wounds, which he claimed to have been the result of a fall.

The prosecution strongly objected to a bail request, arguing that the victim had not yet testified and that the defendant had gone to the victim’s house seeking revenge.

Both defendant and alleged victim lived in the same town and there was a risk of another incident occurring, argued the police.