A man is denying having planted a bone and objects related to the occult in a voluntary organisation worker’s front yard to convince her that she was under a curse.

Karlis Meiers, 28, from Latvia appeared before magistrate Joe Mifsud this afternoon, accused of threatening the woman, who cannot be identified on the orders of the court, and causing her to fear violence. He was also accused of being a recidivist.

Inspectors Joseph Mercieca and Oriana Spiteri told the court how Meiers had denied placing the bone and other, unspecified, items related to the occult in the woman's front yard. He had told police that he used the bones as part of a “cleansing ritual” and was going to bury them. He could not explain how the items had ended up there, but the court also heard how the man had an ongoing dispute with the woman’s charitable organisation and knew where she lived, as the two were neighbours.  

Meiers complained to the court today that he was being discriminated against on the basis of his religion and that he had done nothing wrong or illegal. "I committed no crime. I did not endanger anyone," he said.

The nature and provenance of the bones are the subject of a separate magisterial inquiry. The objects were discovered on Monday and the duty magistrate is understood to have appointed a number of experts, including an exorcist, to assist in the inquiry.

The accused replied not guilty to the charges. His lawyer, Noel Cutajar, told the court that there would be no request for bail. 

The Court ordered that the director of prisons give the man any treatment he needed. A protection order in favour of victim was also issued.