Jilted man accused of hacking ex's email and Facebook account, harassment

A court has given a protection order in favour of a woman, whose former partner is accused of harassing and intimidating her

The woman is understood to have told police that La Rocca also hacked her email account as well as the shop's Facebook page, sending out emails in her name and changing her email password
The woman is understood to have told police that La Rocca also hacked her email account as well as the shop's Facebook page, sending out emails in her name and changing her email password

An Italian man who is accused of carrying out a campaign of harassment and intimidation against a former romantic partner of his has been ordered to keep his distance, a court warning him to obey the law or to leave.

Inspector Trevor Micallef summoned 40-year-old Salvatore La Rocca to appear before magistrate Joe Mifsud this morning, on charges of harassment, threats, misuse of telecommunications equipment, defamation, unlawful access to a computer, impairing the integrity of computer data and using another person's password.

The court was told that La Rocca had embarked on a campaign of intimidation and harassment after the woman ended the relationship. The man's ex-partner owns a business and had employed the Italian but had terminated his employment after their relationship ended.

Soon after being sacked, the accused had presented her with an invoice for over a hundred thousand euro, claiming that it was for his promotion of her business, although it was suggested in court that the claim was spurious. The woman, had eventually paid some €21,000 but says that he continued to chase her for money.

The woman is understood to have told police that La Rocca also hacked her email account as well as the shop's Facebook page, sending out emails in her name and changing her email password. She also claimed to have been the subject of false reports made to the tax, VAT and sanitary authorities by the man, who is also understood to have sent a letter to the Prime Minister about her.

The police sergeant testified that she had told policethat some time after that, in August 2016, La Rocca had started to frequently pass through the road where she lived on his motorcycle, revving the engine which she said she recognised from its particular sound. She claimed this had been intended to intimidate her. She also alleged that he had bought a dog and followed her for week. The man had explained to the police that he passes through the road on his way home and to visit friends. He had been shown a number of Facebook and email accounts but claimed that he did not know the passwords to them.

Lawyer Martin Fenech, in cross examination, asked if the accused had ever knocked on the door. The witness replied in the negative, saying the man would only rev the motorcycle's engine. This had happened many times, he explained. “At one point, she had asked her father to come to Malta from Italy to live with her”, said the officer. The witness could not recall whether the woman had told him that she visually recognised the man on the bike.

The man, who had asked to be represented by a state-sponsored legal aid lawyer on account of his being unemployed, had this benefit curtailed for subsequent sittings after it emerged that he did, in fact, have a job. “You don't work here? Fine, go home. You have no reason to be here. This woman is dead to you,” the court said. “But I work here,” the man replied, realising his mistake too late.

Everyone must obey the law of the land, said the magistrate, warning that no abuse would be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrator's country of origin. Failure to do so would cause the fabric of society to unravel, he warned. “The time when outsiders would come to Malta mangia e passeggia, instead of working, is over.”

The magistrate informed the accused that if he wanted to stay in Malta he must be in employment and perform a beneficial role in society. Malta didn't need foreigners to come over and import crime, the court remarked.

The case continues in May. In the intervening months the court imposed a protection order in favour of the woman, warning La Rocca that he faced a maximum of six months in prison and a fine or both if he breached it.

Lawyer Maxilene Pace is appearing parte civile for the woman.

The court imposed a ban on the publication of the woman's name or that of her business.