Si consegna dopo mesi di fuga: accusato di violenza sulla partner incinta

Times of Malta file photo. Insert (Dylan Magro): Malta Police Force

A wanted man who turned himself in nine months after allegedly beating his pregnant partner and dragging her by the hair has been remanded in custody.

The police had been on the lookout for 27-year-old ever since a “trivial argument” at his partner’s Marsascala home escalated to physical violence.

The man allegedly hit his eight-week pregnant partner on the head with her mobile phone, damaging the device. He also allegedly dragged her by the hair, beat her and took her car keys.

The woman managed to make it to the police station on foot. Meanwhile, her partner vanished.

The address on his ID card turned out to be an abandoned house. The police also searched the home of a close relative.

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Prosecuting officers who handled two separate court cases against Magro were also trying to track him down to serve court summons.

Magro was placed on the police wanted list and his photo was published along with a request for public information.

Following that notice, Magri’s Facebook profile was closed down.

Months later, word got around that the man might have returned to his partner’s home.

Officers from the domestic violence unit dropped by at the Marsascala residence and the wanted man was there.

At first, he tried to keep the police out by saying he had dogs indoors. But the officers insisted on executing the arrest warrant.

That was when Magro fled. The officers gave chase but their target managed to jump over a wall and escaped through a construction site.

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On Tuesday, the man finally turned himself in at the police depot.

Upon arraignment on Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty to a raft of charges linked to the various episodes, including slight injuries to his partner and two police officers, as well as violently resisting arrest.

His legal aid lawyer wanted to raise the insanity plea, asking the duty magistrate to appoint three psychiatrists to assess the mental state of the defendant at the time of the alleged offences and also whether he was fit for trial.

Lawyer Brandon Kirk Muscat explained that Magro had long been diagnosed with “certain conditions” and his condition could deteriorate.

However, prosecuting inspector Audrey Micallef objected, pointing out that the defendant “knew very well what he was doing”.

During interrogation, he told the police officer involved in the attempted arrest: “sorry for the trouble and hassle I caused”.

Nor did he once mention his condition when taken to the Floriana health centre after his arrest.

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Magistrate Nadia Helena Vella turned down the request since there was no evidence supporting it at the arraignment stage.

The court also turned down a request for bail in view of the serious nature of the charges, the defendant’s lack of a fixed address and his untrustworthiness.

The court banned the publication of the victims’ names.

Inspector Audrey Micallef prosecuted.

Lawyer Brandon Kirk Muscat was legal aid counsel.