A man who was charged with breaching bail on various occasions has been granted bail again.
Melvin Debono, 33, was back in court again last week charged with ignoring a court-imposed curfew.
Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi heard that the police spotted him on January 12 at about 2am in Paceville. Debono pleaded not guilty to the charge of breaching bail.
Police inspector John Lee Howard told the court the St Julian’s police officers had spotted Debono outside Havana at about 2am. He was arrested as he was in breach of bail.
He cooperated with the police and told officers he had gone to pick up a 15-year-old relative.
The teenage girl took the stand and said that, on the day, she was meant to sleep at the house of Debono and her aunt (Debono’s partner). She snuck out to Paceville while they were out for dinner. Later that evening, someone called her aunt and Debono to inform them she was in Paceville. The girl said she should not have been there as she was not allowed to go to Paceville.
The prosecution objected to him being granted bail as this was not the first time he breached a curfew and he could not be trusted
The defence argued that Debono was innocent until proven guilty and the decision on his guilt, or otherwise, would be handed down on January 28. They argued that, even if he was found guilty, one had to factor in the circumstances of the case: these were unique circumstances in which Debono breached the imposed curfew but did not commit a crime during the time.
The prosecution objected to him being granted bail as this was not the first time he breached a curfew and he could not be trusted. In October 2024, Debono had appeared before the same magistrate charged with breaching the curfew imposed by his bail conditions when he was spotted in Paceville at 4am.
Back then Debono, was fined €2,000 and ordered to give up €1,500 in deposits and personal guarantee money from each of his five bail decrees, for a total of €6,000.
On evaluating the matter, the magistrate noted that curfew was one of the bail conditions imposed to ensure a person accused of breaking the law did not commit another crime. He also noted that Debono cooperated fully with the police.
The law allowed the court to factor in the circumstances of the case when deciding on a breach of curfew.
In this case, the court had to find a balance between the rights of the accused, who was presumed innocent until the final judgment, and the benefit of society.
In the circumstances, he granted bail on a range of conditions that included binding Debono to be indoors between 9pm and 7am and binding him by a €2,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €5,000.
Among others, Debono has been granted bail over various cases including a massive €800,000 drug haul, a shooting incident in Paola and the torching of a boat in a Sliema arson incident.
Lawyers José Herrera, Marion Camilleri and Franco Debono represented the accused.