Man jailed for two years and fined €7k for harassing ex

A 44-year-old man from Marsascala has been sentenced to two years in prison and fined €7,000 after being found guilty of harassing his ex-partner and breaching multiple court orders.

In her ruling, Magistrate Tanya Sammut emphasised that court orders must be "scrupulously observed" and that the accused's behaviour, which began barely a month after his previous conviction, could not be tolerated.

Wayne Vella was accused of causing fear and persistent harassment to his former partner of 17 years, with whom he shares two children. 

The court heard that the harassment commenced shortly after February 5, when Vella was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence and a protection order that explicitly prohibited him from communicating with his ex-partner.

Despite the strict legal warnings, Vella initiated communication just weeks later.

The prosecution revealed that on February 26, Vella used his brother as an intermediary to send WhatsApp messages urging his former partner to "sort things out". 

Following this, Vella acquired a new mobile number to send numerous text messages and attempted to connect with her by sending a Facebook friend request.

Furthermore, the victim testified that she had seen Vella loitering near her home and their children's school, which heavily escalated her distress.

Under oath, the woman described living in "great fear" and suffering from severe anxiety, noting that even after she blocked his number, he continued to persist.

Social workers who conducted a risk assessment classified the victim’s situation as "severe danger," giving her case a high-risk score of 15.

Vella admitted to contacting the victim but argued his intentions were solely to discuss their children and resolve their relationship issues.

He testified that during the time of the offences, he had recently been discharged from Mount Carmel Hospital, where he was receiving treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts.

He consistently denied using any threats or violence in his communications.

Magistrate Tanya Sammut delivered the judgment on Tuesday.

Although the court cleared Vella of making explicit threats through electronic communications, finding that the messages did not contain direct threats or insults under the law, he was convicted of harassment, breaching a protection order, violating the conditions of a suspended sentence, and recidivism.

In her ruling, Magistrate Sammut emphasised that court orders must be "scrupulously observed" and that Vella's behaviour, which began barely a month after his previous conviction, could not be tolerated.

The court noted that Vella appeared not to understand that his relationship with his former partner was over and stressed that he needed professional help to address his drug addiction and lifestyle.

Consequently, the court ordered the enforcement of Vella's previous two-year suspended prison sentence, meaning he will now serve jail time, with deductions for time already spent in preventive custody.

Additionally, he was fined €7,000 for breaching the Protection Order and was placed under a three-year probation order for the harassment charge to ensure he is continually monitored and receives necessary professional support.

The prosecution was led by Inspector Audrey Micallef.