Man on electronic tag back in court after breaching curfew

A 27-year-old man who was granted bail under electronic monitoring earlier this year has found himself back in court after falling foul of his curfew conditions.

Nicky Falzon, from Mellieħa, admitted to breaching the conditions attached to his release after police were alerted by his electronic tag that he had left his home during mandatory curfew hours.

Arraigned before Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia, Falzon registered a guilty plea.

The breach came to light after an automated alert generated by the electronic monitoring system flagged that the accused had left his home.
Subsequent police investigations and tracking data confirmed that Falzon had stepped out of his residence outside the hours permitted by the court.

The accused had been on his way to sign the bail book at the local police station when the violation was picked up. Following the admission, the prosecution pressed for the minimum prison term established by law and requested the full confiscation of the €5,000 personal guarantee imposed when Falzon was granted bail last April.

The defence, however, urged the court to take into account the fact that the accused had left home just 28 minutes after his curfew had kicked in.

Defence lawyer Nicholas Mifsud argued against the forfeiture of the entire guarantee and asked the court to opt for the maximum possible fine rather than send the accused behind bars.

Magistrate Sant Lia ultimately handed down a €500 fine.

She also ordered the partial forfeiture of the personal guarantee, directing that €2,000 be forfeited from the original €5,000 sum.

Inspector Charlon Borg prosecuted. Lawyer Nicholas Mifsud appeared for the accused.