Mother hides from aggressive, threatening 19-year-old son, court hears
Court orders accused to 'block and delete' his parents' telephone numbers
A 19-year-old man was arraigned in court on Friday after his parents reported him for his aggressive and threatening behaviour, which on occasions led the mother to lock herself in the bathroom to hide from him.
The youth was accused of subjecting his parents to psychological and moral violence, insulting them, distressing them and causing them to fear violence would be used against them.
He was also accused of committing acts of domestic violence against his parents, causing slight injuries and threatening his mother.
The court issued a ban on the youth's name.
During the sitting, the accused appeared restless, often pacing around the small court hall and interrupting the proceedings. Magistrate Tanya Sammut and several laywers repeatedly asked him to stand still.
The court heard how the youth’s parents reported him to the police for incidents that happened between March 17 and 19, when he was behaving aggressively at their home.
It emerged that their son, who lived with another family member, would frequently return to his parents’ residence and demand money to sustain his drug habit.
Police inspector Christian Cauchi explained how on one occasion, the youth went home and demanded his mother bring him his clothes. When she did not do what was asked, he became aggressive, began insulting her, and an argument left her slightly injured.
She told the police how she would sometimes lock herself in the bathroom out of fear and tell the other children to tell her son that she was not home.
Cauchi explained how the accused was suffering from a chronic mental disorder but refused to attend any medical appointments and take prescribed medication.
The accused, who is unemployed, pleaded guilty.
Defence lawyer Mario Mifsud argued that sending the youth to prison would not help his situation and would only worsen his problems. He argued that the accused needs rehabilitation.
Both the defence and prosecution agreed that the youth should be handed a probation sentence.
The accused was handed a three-year probation order and a three year treatement order for his psychological issues.
The court also issued a restraining order for three years for the accused’s parents.
“Block and delete their numbers,” the magistrate told the youth.
Inspector Christian Cauchi prosecuted. Lawyer Ishmael Psaila appeared for the parte civile. Lawyer Mario Mifsud appeared for the accused.