Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1500345
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 31 MAY 2023 MATTHEW AGIUS A man has been remanded in custody after being charged with grievously injuring his neigh- bour in an altercation about a noise complaint. Manuel Borg, 37, from Safi, was arraigned before Mag- istrate Kevan Azzopardi on Tuesday afternoon, accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the victim, a Filipino factory worker, in the presence of a mi- nor, at around 3pm on 28 May. Prosecuting police Inspectors Kevin Pulis and Kurt Farrugia also charged Borg, a serving soldier with the AFM, with committing a crime that he was duty bound to prevent. Inspector Pulis told the court that the defendant and victim lived in overlying flats and that the assault had happened in the context of a complaint about loud noise. The police established that the defendant had attacked the victim, he said, adding that the victim's injuries had been certi- fied to be grievous, he said. After the assaulted man told the police that his assailant was someone from his block, of- ficers went to Borg's residence. Borg had admitted assaulting the victim, said the inspector. Defence lawyer Victor Bugeja informed the court that the de- fendant was pleading not guilty and requested bail for his cli- ent, describing the incident as a case of legitimate self-defence. The prosecution objected to bail, pointing to the serious na- ture of the charges, which car- ry substantial prison sentenc- es and the risk of the accused tampering with evidence. In- spector Pulis reminded the court that the defendant and the victim lived in the same apartment block. But when the inspector re- peated that the injuries were grievous in nature, the lawyer suggested that they were in fact minor in nature. Reading the medical report out loud, Buge- ja said "I see certification for scratches, scratches, scratch- es, a graze and a graze and you have charged him with griev- ous bodily harm," argued the defence lawyer. Bugeja informed the court that alternative living arrange- ments were possible for the de- fendant should bail be granted. The other party had been tor- menting him with loud noise for a long time, said the law- yer. "When the defendant had complained, the victim had assaulted him and the accused defended himself, causing him scratches and grazes." Inspector Pulis rebutted the assertion that the injuries were simply grazes and scratches, arguing that the law classified marks on the face, which cause visible disfigurement as griev- ous. Magistrate Azzopardi noted that the dynamics of the in- cident emerged at face value from the documents before him. The fact that the alleged victim was the defendant's neighbour led the court to have concerns about Borg's ability to abide by his bail conditions, he said, denying bail. Bugeja asked the court to im- pose a ban on the publication of the name of the defend- ant due to his employer and the circumstances of the case, which he said was trivial. "I don't think it would be right to smear his name across the newspapers and then it turns out that it was not true," Buge- ja argued. The prosecution did not ob- ject to the request for a media ban. The court, however, decreed that the Maltese Court system was one where proceedings are heard in public, "precisely so that the citizen has the oppor- tunity to follow these proceed- ings". "Ancillary to this concept, is the other concept that proceed- ings are public. Therefore the rule is that the media is able to, without sensationalism, report what happens in the courtroom and the proceedings," said the magistrate. "Therefore, after considering these principles, the court de- nies the request." AFM soldier charged with assaulting neighbour over loud noise Charges dropped as woman withdraws complaint against alleged abusive ex-husband A man was remanded in custody for assaulting his neighbour after an argument over a noise complaint MANAGEMENT & LOGISTICS ASSISTANT KMS Consulting LTD is looking to employ an individual to take on the role of Management and Logistics Assistant. The successful candidate will be responsible to coordinate the supply chain process, logistics planning, order processing and tracking, inventory management and quality control on the distribution of a children clothing brand. Previous experience in logistics and business administration is considered an asset. Successful candidate must be fluent in English and Spanish language. Please send your CV to ketil@kmsinvest.ltd by not later than 5th June 2023. No agencies please. MATTHEW AGIUS A man who was reported to the police by his estranged wife for allegedly locking her and their daughter in their house and then sending her threatening text messages, was released by a court after the woman withdrew her complaint, right as the man was about to be charged. The 63-year-old defendant, who told the court he worked as a veterinary surgeon, appeared in the dock before magistrate Kevan Azzopardi this morning, accused of illegally detaining his ex-partner and daughter on 27- 28 May. Prosecuting police inspector Sherona Buhagiar exhibited screenshots of Whatsapp chats between the defendant and the woman. The woman's lawyer, Lennox Vella, informed the court that his client wished to withdraw her complaint and drop the charges. The defendant and the alleged victim live together and have a daughter, said the lawyer, explaining that the daughter's birthday is tomorrow and she will be sitting for school exams soon. Defence lawyer Franco Debono described the incident as a one- off, saying he hoped that good sense would continue with re- spect to both parties. "Sir, you are a person of cer- tain intellect and social standing. It has a choice before it and will choose in the best interests of the victims, not your own," said the magistrate, addressing the defendant, whose name is sub- ject to a reporting ban. He told the man to seek help to reconcile with his wife and ad- vised the woman to do the same. "I hope this episode serves as a wake-up call. I don't want to see you before these courts again," said the magistrate. The court was told that the man had an "almost clean" crim- inal record and that civil pro- ceedings between the couple were ongoing. After taking into account the interests of the victim and the couple's children, the magistrate upheld the woman's request to withdraw the charges and de- clared the case closed.