A man who was facing a criminal case for trying to strangle his partner and threatening to kill her cats has walked free after the victim pleaded with the court to drop the complaint.

Oscar Olsen, a 28-year-old from Sweden, left the court after Magistrate Abigail Critien accepted the victim’s request for the case to be dropped.

The incident that prompted the court case started on a Saturday night earlier this month when the couple were watching television and drinking alcohol at a friend’s place. Olsen took his partner’s mobile phone and suddenly turned aggressive when he discovered she was chatting with other men, the court was told.

His reaction prompted neighbours to call the police, while their friends tried to calm the accused, inspector Sherona Buhagiar explained in court.

Later that night, Olsen turned up at her place and attempted to strangle her “10 times” throughout the night.

He also allegedly called her “a whore”, a “slut,” and other offensive names, and threatened to kill her pet cats, the inspector said.

At around 7am, the woman typed a Facebook message to the police, calling for help.

“He’s going to kill me and then kill himself,” read the message.

The man was arrested and charged in court.

The accused claimed that his partner had triggered the argument and he had acted in self-defence.

During the first sitting before Magistrate Critien, the victim – the prosecution’s sole witness – declared under oath that she did not want to testify against the accused and wanted to withdraw the case.

The magistrate told her this was not automatic and that the court could still order that the case against the accused continues.

Earlier this month, another magistrate, Joseph Gatt, denied the victim’s request for the case to be dropped.

Magistrate Critien explained to the woman that should the case be dropped, the protection order that the court had issued with not have any effect.

Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit urged the court to accept the withdrawal of the complaint since she stood firm by her position and made it abundantly clear it was her wish not to press on with the proceedings when repeatedly asked by the magistrate and the prosecution to determine the voluntariness of her wish. 

The woman told the court she understood the repercussions of her request and insisted on not testifying.

The court acceded to the request for the case to be withdrawn and declared the accused not guilty and released from arrest.

AG lawyers Manuel Grech and Etienne Savona prosecuted, together with Inspector Sherona Buhagiar.