A man who bombarded his partner with calls and messages checking on her whereabouts, smashing her iPhone and reducing her car to a “wreck” upon suspicion that she was seeing other men was jailed for four years.  

Bojan Ivanovikj, a 33-year-old Macedonian national, had been living in Malta for one-and-a-half years when he was arrested in January following a report to the domestic violence unit by his partner who could no longer put up with the abusive relationship. 

The couple had been together for a year or so when trouble brewed. 

Around August last year, the man began to suspect that his partner was seeing other men. 

His attitude towards her changed as he began to follow her every move, sending her messages which also included insults and death threats. 

During one of their arguments at his St Paul’s Bay home, the accused kicked his partner on the thigh. 

Another time he grabbed her by the hair, pulled her down and then kicked her, smashing her iPhone on the floor and damaging it to such extent that it was certified as “beyond economical repair”.

The abuse continued. 

The accused bombarded his victim with messages and calls, following her every move, always checking on her whereabouts and wanting to know who she was with. 

Matters came to a head on January 14.

That day, the woman told her partner that she was meeting a female friend for lunch at a restaurant just metres away from his residence.

He did not believe her and insisted on joining them at the table. 

She was against that suggestion but all throughout the meal, her partner constantly pestered her with messages, asking her to send him images and to video call because he did not believe her.

He finally turned up at the bar and grill together with his mother, joining his partner and her friend.

Agressive behaviour

Later, when the couple were alone at the table, Ivanovikj began to drink and his behaviour turned aggressive.

He clambered onto a chair, shouting and hurling abuse at his partner, loudly alleging that she had gone to that restaurant because of a “particular waiter”.He even spat at her.

The woman was too scared to get up and leave. 

She finally managed to secretly dial a cab and slipped out, heading for home, leaving her own car parked outside, close by.

That was where she found the vehicle the following morning. 

But the Mazda model had been reduced to a “wreck”, its front windows smashed by two stone slabs that were still lying on the driver’s and passenger’s seats.

The door handles and mirrors had been snapped off and there were visible dents all over the metalwork. 

None of the woman’s personal items had been stolen. 

She later confronted her partner about the damage, recording their telephone conversation. 

The accused admitted to the damages saying that it was “because [she] left from there” and added, “Ok, I will fix it”.

That was the last straw. 

That same day, the woman filed a domestic violence report, triggering police investigations which resulted in criminal charges against the accused. 

He pleaded not guilty to harassment, fear of violence, subjecting his victim to violence, including moral and psychological violence.

He was also accused of misusing electronic communications equipment, willful damage to his partner’s property, indecent behaviour in public, being drunk in public as well as breaching the public peace.

The woman produced documents, including screenshots and photos of her injuries and the damages caused to her personal property. 

Her version was further corroborated by the testimony of police officers.

The only conflicting issue concerned the cost of damage to her car. 

An agent testified he had bought the vehicle as a “wreck” for €2,500 from the insurance company.

He then fixed it, using secondhand parts, and re-sold it in good condition for €6,800.

The total cost of the repairs was €3,800 and that was the amount to be taken into consideration, concluded Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, declaring the accused guilty. 

When meting out punishment, the court took note of the accused’s conduct sheet and the fact that he had been in Malta only for one-and-a-half years prior to his arrest.

The man insisted he used cocaine strictly for recreational purposes.

He was also well-behaved while in preventive custody.

The court condemned him to a four-year jail term, from which the time he has already spent in preventive custody has to be reduced. It also issued a three-year restraining order that was to take effect once jail time had been served. 

Inspector Audrey Micallef prosecuted. Lawyer Roberto Montalto assisted the victim.