Man charged with attempted murder granted bail on presumption of innocence

The antics of Joseph Bugeja and his neighbour were described by a Magistrate as "following the script of The Real MacCoys or The Beverly Hillbillies", as a long-standing argument led to Bugeja being charged with the attempted murder of his neighbor's son.

Allegedly acting on MEPA order, yesterday morning, Bugeja attempted to pull down a boundary wall, close to where he resides. When the neighbour saw this, he rushed to file a police report as his son Martin Chetcuti went to take photos of the accused pulling down the wall. The 47-year old accused got into his pick-up truck and ran over Chetcuti, causing him slight injuries. The incident was recorded on CCTV. He was today charged with the attempted murder of the victim and reckless driving.

As the prosecution and the defence argued over the granting of bail, Magistrate Carol Peralta commented that the accused had already appeared before him on other occasions. "Your arguments have brought you to court a number of times, yet neither of you wants to calm down. You reming me of the Hillbillies and the MacCoys", the magistrate said.

Backed by Dr Kathleen Grima who represented the victim, the prosecution argued against the accused being granted bail, fearing he could intimidate the witnesses and tamper with evidence. "Today I'm representing the victims. I fear that next time I'd be representing their heirs", the lawyer told the court.

Defence lawyer Leslie Cuschieri replied that he was surprised by the victim's family attendance in court. "In other outstanding cases we have, they always fail to attend and such behaviour has resulted in prolonged proceedings", the lawyer said.

Dr Cuschieri explained that remaining in protective custody would place a heavy burden Bugeja's two children. "Aged 9 and 11, and having lost their mother in 2012, the two girls are cared for by their father. How will they cope if he's remanded in custody?" the defence asked.

Magistrate Peralta reprimanded the accused for his actions and warned him on the consequences of breaching bail. Bugeja was released from arrest against a deposit of €300 and a personal guarantee of €5,000. The victim's family were placed under a protection order and the accused ordered not to approach his residence and abide with his mother in a different part of Mgarr. "I am only granting you bail because I believe in the presumption of innocence", Magistrate Peralta told the accused.

The children's mother and former wife of the accused is Meryem Bugeja, who was murdered on 25 September 2012. An autopsy revealed that Meryem Bugeja had suffered two cranial wounds from a blunt object. The former husband - the couple had been separated for two years at the time of the incident - was one of the first suspects but was subsequently released when the police could not link him to the murder. The case remains unsolved.