A long-term cocaine user who terrorised his mother into handing over money for drugs has been spared an immediate prison term after admitting to domestic violence offences, with the court opting for a suspended sentence alongside treatment and protection orders.
The man, who has battled a severe cocaine addiction for more than 12 years, pleaded guilty to pressuring, threatening and intimidating his mother inside the family home. Magistrate Noel Bartolo sentenced him to 18 months in prison suspended for two years and imposed a €500 fine, noting that the violence had primarily taken the form of sustained psychological and emotional abuse.
The court heard that the mother had lived in constant fear, to the point of repeatedly locking herself inside her bedroom whenever her son returned home under the influence of drugs. The situation escalated on a Tuesday morning at around 10am, when the man used threats and intimidation to force his mother to give him money, leaving her suffering what the court described as both physical and psychological harm.
It was his brother who finally reported the matter to the police, explaining that the accused’s cocaine addiction had long caused serious fear in the household. He said their mother had begun turning to him frequently because she could no longer cope with her son’s increasingly erratic and aggressive behaviour, which included breaking anything he found at home.
In one incident during a weekend in November, the mother locked herself in her bedroom for safety after another confrontation. Around the same time, the accused sent a WhatsApp message to his brother threatening to stab him for reporting him to the police.
During the proceedings, the prosecution highlighted the accused’s early admission and his clean criminal record and, for this reason, did not insist on an immediate custodial sentence. Instead, the prosecution requested a suspended sentence, a minimal fine, and both a treatment order and a protection order in favour of the mother.
The defence told the court that the man had already approached Oasi Foundation to begin rehabilitation and currently held a job as a driver. He no longer lived with his mother and had secured alternative accommodation. While the accused told the court he felt he had “some control” over his addiction, the defence ultimately conceded this was more hopeful thinking than reality.
The magistrate emphasised that the man’s conduct had generated a real fear of violence in his mother, whom the court described as a vulnerable victim. The intimidation had not been limited to one day but had occurred over several days, including two separate incidents the previous Monday at around 2:20pm and again at 5pm, when he threatened her.
After considering the evidence and the guilty plea, the court issued both a restraining order and a two-year restraining order in favour of the mother. The man was also placed under a drug treatment order to address his addiction. Given his financial circumstances, the court accepted the defence’s request to allow the €500 fine to be paid in instalments of €50 per month.
The case was prosecuted by Inspector Christian Cauchi. Magistrate Noel Bartolo presided over the sitting. Defence lawyer Yanika Barbara Sant represented the accused.
