'It's better if I go to prison': Man initially pleads guilty to get 'rid' of ex
The man first pleaded guilty, then withdrew his plea, and requested bail
A 31-year-old man pleaded guilty and asked the court to send him to prison in a bid that his ex “forgets him once and for all”.
However, the man changed his guilty plea after lawyer Arthur Azzopardi asked the court to step in and speak with the accused after the court pointed out that this was not enough to plead guilty.
Hagen Azzopardi from Msida appeared in court on Wednesday, where he was accused of breaching a restraining order and threatening his former partner.
He was also accused of computer misuse and breaching two sets of bail conditions, and a suspended sentence was handed down in May 2025.
Initially, the man insisted that he wanted to represent himself and refused legal aid from lawyer Julia Micallef Stafrace, who was present in the courtroom.
After the man informed the court that he was not contesting the arrest, Azzopardi pleaded guilty.
The court explained the legal consequences of such a plea and invited the man to consult with the legal aid lawyer, an offer which he turned down.
When making submissions on punishment, police inspector Omar Zammit said this was a case where the accused breached a restraining order and had a suspended sentence handed down earlier this year, and two sets of bail conditions.
Zammit highlighted that Azzopardi fully cooperated with the police and allegedly said, “It’s better if I go to prison, so finally I will get rid of her."
“She keeps coming to me, and if she doesn’t find me, she goes to my mother. Maybe while I’m inside [serving time] she will forget me,” Azzopardi said.
The court observed that this was not a sufficient reason to plead guilty, at which point, lawyer Azzopardi requested the presiding magistrate to speak to the man.
After the accused and the lawyer had a quick chat out of the courtroom, the lawyer informed the court that the accused was withdrawing his guilty plea.
Azzopardi then pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. The lawyer then requested bail.
Police inspector Omar Zammit objected, saying that there were civilian witnesses yet to testify, including the woman’s minor son.
The defence lawyer countered that the minor was not the accused’s son, and it was up to the mother to protect the minor as a witness.
He said that any interference could happen if she chose to drive from Siġġiewi to Msida. The court denied the man bail and remanded him in custody. It solicited the prosecution to summon all civilian witnesses at the first sitting.
Magistrate Noel Bartolo presided. Police inspector Omar Zammit prosecuted.