An 18-year-old unemployed man pleaded guilty to harassing his grandparents for money so that he could gamble it, after they allegedly gave him more than €21,000 in the past two months.
A court heard how their grandson has a gambling addiction and has been demanding money for the past two years.
The man appeared before duty magistrate Nadia Helena Vella on Monday afternoon, where he was accused of using psychological violence against his grandparents.
He was further accused of harassing, threatening and insulting them.
Police inspector Christian Cauchi told the court the man’s grandparents went to the domestic violence hub in Santa Luċija to report their grandson, who lives with them at their residence in Żebbuġ.
The grandparents told the police that their grandson has a gambling addiction, and has been demanding money over the past two years.
In March alone, they gave him €16,000. From the beginning of April until his arrest, they allegedly gave him €5,000.
When the elderly couple refused to give him the money, the man allegedly tore their clothes and would wake them up in the middle of the night so they would withdraw the amounts.
He also grabbed a knife and allegedly threatened them with it if they did not give him the money.
Cauchi told the court that while the grandparents were filing the police report, the man sent a text message to his grandmother in which he asked for €10 to gamble and tried calling her.
He was arrested at 3am on Monday.
During his statement to the police, it transpired that the man was under the impression that he had a right to demand the money since he is 18 years old and unemployed, Cauchi said, adding that the accused showed no remorse whatsoever for his behaviour.
In court, the man pleaded guilty to the charges.
Cauchi requested that the man be handed a suspended sentence in the maximum allowed by law, given the circumstances of the case.
He also requested a restraining order in favour of the elderly grandparents and noted that there would be an issue as to where he would go and live.
A treatment order was also requested.
Denies using a knife
Legal aid lawyer Yanica Barbara underlined that the accused is an 18-year-old teenager living with his parents, and that while the guilty plea was entered, there would have been greater repercussions for the accused had he not admitted.
She underlined that the guilty plea was not going to be retracted, but her client had admitted to asking for money but denied using a knife. She added that the amounts claimed by his grandparents were not all for him, but also for his uncle, who lives in the same residence and has a drug abuse issue.
She argued that in this case, a conditional discharge would be more suitable in this case, rather than tarnishing his record with a suspended sentence.
The lawyer said that the repercussions of both a suspended sentence and a conditional discharge are almost the same, but a conditional discharge would not impact him as much if he continues to study and looks for a job.
The sitting was briefly suspended.
The court then handed the teenager a three-year probation order. He was placed under a treatment order. The court issued a three-year restraining order in favour of the grandparents.
Magistrate Nadia Helena Vella presided. Police inspector Christian Cauchi prosecuted. Legal aid lawyer Yanica Barbara appeared for the accused.