Man who hasn't spoken to daughter in 20 years charged with breaching bail
He was allegedly seen walking in a Żabbar street where she owns a garage
8A man who has not spoken to his daughter for 20 years has been charged with breaching bail conditions after he was allegedly seen walking in a Żabbar street where she owns a garage.
Magistrate Leonard Caruana heard the man plead not guilty to breaching bail after he was spotted crossing the road, where his daughter and husband own a garage, on June 10 at around 7.30pm.
Police Inspector Christian Cauchi explained that the accused, 65, had a “bad history” with his daughter. He had also previously been convicted of domestic violence.
About a year ago, he was charged in connection with another incident concerning his daughter and was granted bail, subject to a protection order prohibiting him from going near her.
On June 11, the daughter’s husband informed police that he had seen the accused on the same street where the couple own a garage, in breach of the protection order.
Police noted that there had been a previous report of a similar nature, and although the accused had been warned, he ignored police instructions.
Defence lawyers Anita Giordimaina and Martina Buhagiar argued that the domestic violence case referenced had taken place in Marsascala, and that he had been allowed to reside in Żabbar.
His bail conditions, they said, did not prohibit him from entering Żabbar.
“It cannot be that, simply because the word ‘vicinity’ appears in the protection order - which refers to the daughter and not her husband - he is brought to court,” the lawyers said.
They argued that the reports filed never mentioned that he spoke to his daughter or threatened her – he simply walked through a road in the village where he lived.
The accused was granted bail on condition that he stay away from specific roads in Żabbar and was bound by a €3,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €5,000.