Man charged with insulting ex-partner and repeated bail breaches

A 39-year-old man from Żejtun was remanded in custody on Monday after denying charges of insulting his former partner and breaching bail conditions.

The man appeared before Magistrate Ann Marie Thake accused of using his mobile phone to threaten and insult the woman, breaching the peace, and failing to observe bail conditions imposed in separate proceedings over the past year.

Inspector Audrey Micallef told the court that the alleged victim had reported the matter to the domestic violence unit on Saturday. The woman explained that although the accused had been ordered to reside at his mother’s home in Żejtun and observe a curfew, he had in fact been living with her until she ended the relationship and gave him 15 days to leave.

The complainant also alleged that the man had behaved improperly in front of her ten-year-old daughter. On Saturday, he is said to have gone to her home to collect belongings he had already taken, insulted her, and waited outside in breach of his 11pm–6am curfew.

The accused was arrested at the Żejtun police station the same evening while signing the bail book. The inspector said the man had no fixed address and had previously been difficult to locate.

Defence lawyer Matthew Xuereb challenged the validity of the arrest, arguing that an arrest warrant should have been issued since his client had attended the station voluntarily. The court heard testimony from several officers, including a sergeant who said the man had been allowed to go home briefly to shower before returning to give a statement, at which point he was arrested.

Another officer told the court the accused had caused a disturbance at the station and initially refused his letter of rights. The magistrate upheld the validity of the arrest.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The prosecution opposed bail, citing the risk of tampering with evidence and the man’s history of breaching court orders. The inspector told the court that, even after his arrest, the man had contacted the complainant asking to shower at her home and had stated outside the courtroom that he would return there if released.

Xuereb argued that most of the charges were minor contraventions and that his client had made significant progress with the complainant’s support, including finding employment. He warned that detention could undo that progress.

The court refused bail, noting that only two months earlier the accused had been convicted of breaching bail conditions in another case. A protection order was issued in favour of the woman.

Magistrate Ann Marie Thake presided over the sitting. Inspector Audrey Micallef prosecuted, while Matthew Xuereb appeared for the accused.