Drug addict charged with domestic violence against mother

A 47-year-old sculptor from Lija appeared in court on Friday, accused of assaulting and threatening his mother.

The charges against him include assaulting his mother, insulting and threatening her and instilling fear of violence. He was also charged with breaching a restraining order, and committing an offence during the operative period of a suspended sentence.

On 16 August, the man’s mother reported him to the Domestic Violence Unit.

She explained that her son has been addicted to drugs, mostly cocaine, for over 21 years. On one occasion, while clearly under the influence, he began hallucinating and speaking irrationally, claiming he was a genius and that he was “inspired by the divine to do drugs”.

The accused allegedly punched his mother on the arm, while on another occasion he violently pushed her against a fridge. Unable to cope with the situation any longer, she reported him to the authorities.

The prosecution informed the court that his parents no longer want him to continue residing at their home.

The accused was arrested at his residence, where police discovered several drug pipes. Drug pipes are glass objects used for smoking recreational drugs.

Following his arrest, he was referred to Mount Carmel Hospital on 16 August. After being certified fit for interrogation and prosecution, a fresh arrest warrant was issued on Friday and he was re-arrested.

During proceedings, he appeared confused about his age, telling the court he was “45 or 46,” and displayed signs of restlessness. After this, the defence questioned how he was deemed fit for prosecution.

The court declared his arrest valid, with the man pleading not guilty.

In April 2024, a restraining order was issued preventing him from approaching his mother in a separate case. He had also received a suspended sentence.

Bail was not requested at this stage. Instead, the defence asked that the accused be sent back to Mount Carmel Hospital and the court recommended that he is kept under constant psychiatric care.

Parte civile lawyer Edward Gatt requested a ban on the publication of the victim’s name, while the defence requested the same for the accused.

The lawyer stated that the man’s family had already been through a lot, adding that the man had previously destroyed the home of his elderly parents. The court upheld both requests, issuing a ban on the publication of the names of those involved.

Inspector Christian Cauchi prosecuted. Legal aid lawyer Julia Micallef Stafrace. Lawyer Edward Gatt appeared for the victim. Magistrate Leonard Caruana presided over the case.