A 35-year-old Cuban citizen residing in Malta pleaded guilty on Thursday in court to threatening the life of his ex-partner and her family members amid disputes related to the support of their two young children.
The man, identified by his initials M. T. G., appeared under arrest before a court in Valletta after his ex-partner filed a report regarding threatening messages.
According to the Maltese newspaper MaltaToday, the complaint was filed last Tuesday with the Domestic Violence Unit of the Malta Police.
According to what was presented by the Prosecutor's Office during the hearing, the disputes arose from disagreements regarding the money allocated for the support of the two children of the former couple, both of whom are under three years old.
Although there was no court order requiring the accused to pay alimony, he had been contributing financially on a voluntary basis until he stopped due to job difficulties.
The conflict resulted in a series of threatening messages, according to the complaint filed by the woman, who claimed that her ex-partner had threatened to kill her as well as her family members.
In one of the episodes described by the Prosecutor's Office, the Cuban reportedly made a video call accompanied by his cousin, during which he displayed a knife and threatened to kill his ex-partner if she approached him.
The charges include instilling fear of experiencing acts of violence, making threats and insults, and improperly using electronic means of communication.
During the hearing, allegations of alleged physical violence that occurred earlier this year were also mentioned. However, no medical certificates were presented to support those claims.
The court also received information that the ex-partner had allegedly issued threats against the defendant during the discussions.
He pleads guilty to the charges and is released on bail
The Cuban citizen admitted his guilt on all charges presented, although Judge Gabriella Vella, who is in charge of the case, decided to postpone the sentencing.
The defense attorneys, Mario Mifsud and Nicholas Mifsud, requested bail and argued that the defendant and his ex-partner no longer lived together, and that he pledged not to approach or make contact with her.
The court accepted the request and granted him bail with a personal guarantee of 5,000 euros.
Although the defendant acknowledged responsibility for the charges filed against him, a verdict has not yet been reached, nor has it been publicly announced when the next hearing will take place.
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