Jilted lover gets community service for ambushing and assaulting rival

Attard man had forced his former girlfriend to arrange a meeting with her new flame with the intention of engineering a confrontation

A jilted lover who punched his former lover’s new partner in a jealous rage has this morning been ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

31-year-old EM from Attard, was found guilty of causing serious injury to another man in Pembroke in September 2007. 

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia had heard Police Inspector Carlo Ellul explain how EM had been seeing a woman with whom he was completely besotted, but at one point had discovered that, on at least one occasion, the woman had cheated on him with her ex boyfriend.

Very upset, he had forced the woman to call her ex and to set up a rendezvous, with which he would ambush the man. The trap worked and a fight ensued, in which the woman's ex sustained facial bruises and a laceration underneath his right eye which required stiches. 

After being arrested, EM had told the police he had gone to the meeting to have a word with his lover's ex, to clear the air. Police noted, however that the accused had gone there armed with a telescopic baton, which he had tied to his back – and which he did not use. 

The accused himself had described his actions as madness, caused by feelings of betrayal and conceded that he must learn to control his emotions. 

On his part, the victim had informed the court that he had forgiven his assailant and had withdrawn his criminal complaint against him, but the police were still required to prosecute the bodily harm charge by law. 

In its considerations on punishment, the court took into consideration the fact that EM had been very emotional at the time and had demonstrated great contrition for his actions, even during police interrogation, as well as the forgiveness on the part of the injured party and ordered him to complete 200 hours of community service.