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MALTATODAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2025

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4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 SEPTEMBER 2025 juring a man, drink-driving, reckless else. He was also accused of damag- cuti did not contest the validity of the evidence. Moreover, it was noted NEWS Man accused in Tarxien garage brawl granted bail A 31-year-old man from Msida has been released on bail after the alleged victim of a violent al- tercation in a Tarxien garage ad- mitted in court that the accused was not to blame for the incident. The confrontation, which took place in August, saw the accused, James Manfrè, and Jason Mall- ia clash inside a garage, leaving Mallia injured. Manfrè was sub- sequently charged with causing grievous bodily harm, threaten- ing and insulting the victim, dis- turbing public order, breaching earlier bail and probation con- ditions, and recidivism. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Mallia had already faced sepa- rate proceedings in mid-August, where he admitted to carrying a weapon in public without a li- cence and causing another man to fear violence. He was convict- ed and handed a suspended sen- tence. Police were originally called to the scene after a report of an as- sault involving a firearm. When officers forced open the garage, Mallia was found bleeding and initially alleged that Manfrè had assaulted him. However, Man- frè's defence pointed out that Mallia had been armed with a pistol at the time, which was later confirmed to fire blanks. In his testimony, Mallia told the court that he had been argu- ing with a woman identified as "Michela" when Manfrè stepped in to calm the situation. Mallia admitted to grabbing the pistol, prompting the accused to wres- tle it away and throw it aside. He also confirmed that he was struck during the altercation, but insisted that the incident was not Manfrè's fault, adding that had neighbours not alerted the po- lice, he would never have filed a report. The defence argued that their client had acted in self-defence, protecting both himself and the woman from an escalating con- frontation. The court agreed to grant bail, setting it at a €3,500 deposit and a €6,000 personal guarantee, alongside strict con- ditions including a daily signing of the bail book and a curfew. Further testimonies are expect- ed. The sitting was presided over by Magistrate Giannella Camill- eri Busuttil. Prosecution was led by AG lawyer Manuel Grech, along with inspector Kurt Farru- gia, while Manfrè was represent- ed by lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Adreana Zammit JULIA DOWLING jdowling@mediatoday.com.mt Arrest of illiterate man declared invalid in stalking case A 47-year-old man accused of stalking a woman and breaching a protection order had his arrest declared invalid after the court ruled his rights had not been properly explained to him. The man, who has a mental disability and is unable to read or write, was alleged to have repeatedly loitered outside the woman's home, staring at her door. On one occasion, he was seen touching himself outside her residence, while in another incident, he allegedly took her organic waste bin. He was charged on Monday with breaching a protection or- der, harassment, recidivism, and committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence. He pleaded not guilty. The defence argued that the arrest was unlawful because the police had failed to properly communicate her client's rights. Although a letter of rights was handed to him, they were mean- ingless given his illiteracy, and officers were duty-bound to read and explain it to him. A medical certificate and tes- timony from the man's father were presented in support. "My son cannot read or write. He's simple," the father told the court. Prosecutors maintained that the accused had signed a docu- ment acknowledging receipt of the letter of rights and had never informed officers of his inability to read. Magistrate Abigail Critien ruled that there was a serious doubt over whether the man had truly understood his rights. In such circumstances, the court ruled that the law requires that doubts must benefit the ac- cused. The arrest was therefore declared invalid. Since the arrest was annulled, there was no need for a bail re- quest, and the man was released from custody. However, the protection order in favour of the woman remains in place. The magistrate warned him to stay away from her and her street, cautioning that any breach could lead to a fine of up to €7,000 or two years in prison. The man's identity, as well as that of the alleged victim, can- not be published by court order. Prosecutors were inspectors Ga- briel Kitcher and Karen Cassar, while lawyers Veronica-Anne Spiteri and Desirée Attard ap- peared for the defence. Magistrate Abigail Critien pre- sided over the case. JULIA DOWLING jdowling@mediatoday.com.mt Fifth turtle nest of 2025 starts hatching at Ramla l-Hamra THE fifth turtle nest of 2025 has started to hatch, the En- vironment and Resource Au- thority announced on Tues- day. The nest which was found at Ramla l-Ħamra started hatching last night with a total of 35 hatchlings, and is expected to continue hatch- ing over the next couple of nights. If people visit the nest site, they are being told to not make any loud noises, not to use bright lights and to fol- low instructions from onsite volunteers. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt The eggs were laid by Johanna, who laid her third nest of the season (Photo: ERA)

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