Troubled youth threatened to ‘cut up’ his mother, court told

A homeless Maltese youth who smashed his way into his grandmother's house in order to beat up his own mother, immediately after he had been given a suspended sentence and ordered to keep away from her, has been remanded in custody.

19-year-old Tristan Tedesco from Birkirkara appeared before magistrate Josette Demicoli this morning, accused of threatening his mother, uncle and grandmother, attacking and slightly injuring his grandmother and his uncle, criminal damage to property and breaching the peace on 17 September. He was additionally charged with committing those offences during the operative period of a two-year suspended sentence, which had been handed down that same day and in breach of a probation order he had been placed under in April.

Inspector Roderick Spiteri explained to the court how, on the 17 of this month, the accused – who is homeless, having been kicked out of his parents house – had been arraigned on charges of threats, and criminal damage. “He was charged on Saturday and received a suspended sentence. He went straight to his grandmother's house, in violation of the conditions of his sentence,” the inspector said. He forced his way in, the policeman said, “and went up to the bedroom where his uncle had been asleep in the bed normally used by his mother, and started punching the sleeping figure.

He had then smashed the bolt on the door and left.

The youth had threatened to kill his mother for her part in his previous conviction for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. He had used a friend’s phone to call his mother and threaten to “cut her up,” inspector Spiteri said.

The fact that he had done so immediately after receiving a suspended sentence and a protection order was a cause of great concern to the inspector, the court was told.

“He needs help. He needs anger management training,” submitted the inspector.

Lawyer Mark Busuttil entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of the accused and requested bail, arguing that the court could impose strict conditions in order to protect the boy's family.

“God forbid a person accused spends all the time until the prosecution builds its case, under arrest. But if he breaches his bail conditions, then let him pay for his breach.”

Just because the accused possibly had anger management problems, this fact should not be used to deprive him of his liberty until he was convicted.

The prosecution objected to bail, citing the lack of an address, the accused's apparent disregard of authority and the fact that witnesses who are fearful of him were yet to testify. They knew what he had done the last time he had walked out of court, the inspector added.

The court said it would be rejecting the request for bail until it was in possession of the witnesses' testimony.

The young man broke down in tears while speaking to his lawyer after the request was denied. He was heard screaming at his grandmother after he was led out of courtroom in handcuffs.