A tearful mother testified that her son pulled a knife on her and her husband at their home but did not mean them harm and only behaved poorly due to the influence of drugs, a court heard on Wednesday. 

Magistrate Rachel Montebello was hearing evidence in the case against 40-year-old Mark Gatt, who was arrested for causing a disturbance in his elderly parents’ home in Qormi and causing them to fear violence last month. 

Inspector Eman Heyman testified that the police responded to a disturbance at the Gatt family home in the early hours of July 20. Edgar and Mary Gatt, he said, feared violence from their son and did not want him to continue living in their home under these circumstances. 

Mark Gatt appeared agitated and repeatedly threatened his father in front of police officers, Heyman said. Police escorted Gatt out of the house and to a garage, where he agreed to spend the night. 

Upon returning to the Gatt home later that morning, Heyman continued, police found that the house had been thrashed and several items had been broken and discarded on the floor. Mark Gatt was also found sleeping on a sofa in his parents’ house. 

“While no evidence of drug use was found in the home, Gatt was not in a good state when we found him and we had to wait for him to come to his senses before we were able to question him,” Heyman said. 

During the interrogation, Gatt said that he had no recollection of the events of the night before and said that he had been asleep for the whole night, Heyman continued. 

Threatened to kill his father

After the interrogation, Gatt was allowed to call his aunt, who would allow him to live with her, Heyman said. However, during the phone conversation, Gatt verbally threatened to kill his father more than once in the presence of police officers. He was not granted bail upon arraignment. 

Despite filing the police report that landed their son in hot water, both his parents were reticent to testify about what happened throughout the course of the night in question. 

Shuffling up to the podium with some difficulty, Edgar Gatt told the magistrate he did not intend to testify against his son. 

A visibly upset Mary Gatt had to be escorted out of the courtroom to regain her composure, after prompts from the magistrate to share her version of events caused the woman to burst into tears. 

Mary Gatt testified that she had not called the police on her son that night and at several points insisted that “nothing happened” when asked by the inspector to describe the events that led to her son’s arrest. 

'It was the effect of drugs'

“I remember hearing my son stirring from his bed and he came downstairs. His father was afraid of him because he had a knife in his hands, he was afraid that his son was going to kill him,” she said. 

“I told him that it wasn’t true. He didn’t know what he was saying. That was the effect of the drugs and we just needed to wait until he calmed down.” 

Reluctantly, she said that Mark Gatt was verbally threatening to kill his father, but at no point did he commit any physical acts of violence against them, she said.

“He didn’t mean any of it, you don’t know how much he helps me,” said a tearful Mary Gatt, causing the accused to shake his head solemnly. 

“My biggest fear is that you will take him away from me.” 

The case will continue on August 29. 

Lawyer Joseph Bonnici appeared for Mark Gatt.