Man who threatened suicide to ward off police, jailed for stabbing girlfriend

Noel Calleja, 33 of Santa Venera was jailed for three years after admitting to having attempted to kill his former partner, and seriously injuring her back in 2011.

On the night of 10 July, 2011, at around 11:30pm the accused assaulted his partner Josianne Bonnici in Triq Sir Ugo Mifsud, Ta' Xbiex. During the assault Calleja threatened Bonnici with a knife and also stabbed her in the neck and arms.  The man was 31 years old at the time of the incident.

WATCH Video of accused in stand-off with police

The accused pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder, being in possession of a knife and relapsing.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli jailed Calleja for three years and issued a three-year protection order for Josianne Bonnici. Calleja was also ordered to pay €305 in court expenses.

In September last year, Calleja allegedly stabbed MMDNA nurse Jacqueline Dipasquale, 44 of Swieqi. The incident happened after the two argued in a parked car in the area known as Ta' Farsina in Qormi. The nurse was left lying face down in a pool of blood. Her colleague, 18, who happened to be in the car as well, called for help.

After more than 14 hours on the run Calleja was arrested at a farm in Qormi. After his capture, he accompanied officers to a block of apartments at the Ta' Farsina Housing Estate to retrieve his weapon. While on the roof he escaped, jumped over a three-course ledge onto the top part of a third-floor balcony, and sat on the horizontal flag pole jutting out into thin air.

After spending five hours threatening to jump off the flagpole the man put his trust in a magistrate and edged back to safety. The weapon was never found. Proceedings over this stabbing are ongoing. Lawyers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili appeared for the accused.