Police inspector Joseph Mercieca testified during the proceedings that Silvia Stanica had contacted him and claimed that her partner (Mr Vella Petroni) had locked her in his Bugibba garage.

Stanica told the inspector that they had been going out for two years, but he had become possessive about her.

She said that they had argued and she threatened to leave him. The inspector subsequently spoke to the accused.

The court, presided over by magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera pointed out that Stanica later testified in court and said she wanted to withdraw the proceedings against Mr Vella Petroni and that she did not have any interest in the outcome of the case. She said she did not want to add anything to the initial report she had made to police.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera said that the court was not convinced that the accused was guilty and said that Stanica’s version of events was nothing more than a fabrication to get out of the relationship she had with Mr Vella Petroni.

The magistrate therefore cleared the accused of all the charges against him and forwarded a copy of the judgement to the police commissioner to launch an investigation into Stanica’s claims.

Police inspector Joseph Mercieca prosecuted.