A man who persisted in finding a reason for the breakdown of his six-year relationship with his partner was fined and barred from approaching the woman he admitted to harassing. 

The 40-year-old father and construction worker, whose name was banned by court order, was arrested following persistent attempts to reason out why his relationship with the victim had ended on the rocks.

His latest attempt took place at 2am on Wednesday and although details of that particular episode were not divulged in court, prosecuting Inspector Eman Hayman explained that the accused was “neither arrogant nor violent”.

But ever since their break up on August 20, the accused persisted in pestering his ex, asking why the relationship had ended and what had gone wrong.

The man evidently had a problem with closure and his behaviour amounted to harassment.

Upon arraignment, the accused pleaded guilty to harassment, misuse of electronic communications equipment and breaching the terms of a suspended sentence handed down three years ago. 

“Last Sunday, the accused and his ex were at her home… And the latest report was filed after that encounter,” remarked the man’s lawyer, Arthur Azzopardi.

In light of his admission, the court declared the accused guilty, fined him €1,000 payable in €50 monthly instalments and ordered that the four-year operative term of the suspended sentence delivered in 2019 was to start afresh from Friday.

Moreover, the court placed the accused under a restraining order, barring him from approaching in any manner, even through third parties, his ex and her family. 

The accused would not have been spared imprisonment had violence been involved, remarked the court.

“If you have children, you must provide for them and pay maintenance,” Magistrate Ian Farrugia told the accused with reference to the minor the man had fathered with his wife and who still featured closely in the man’s life. 

The victim of his harassment was another woman whom he had been dating for six years. 

“If this woman is no longer willing, forget her… Don’t dare even approach or try to communicate with her in any way. Don’t even get a friend to pester her by calling on her mobile,” the magistrate warned, stressing that breaching that order could spell jail or a fine or both. 

The court then banned the publication of the parties’ names so as to protect the minor fathered by the accused.