Jailed for terrorising former girlfriend

A man who served time for terrorising and trying to murder his former girlfriend was jailed again yesterday after the death threats resumed and he told their severely autistic daughter that she would not see her mother alive again.

This latest series of threats came after James Demanuele, 34, had been convicted in 2004 and served a 14-month jail term for viciously stabbing his girlfriend during an argument in 1999 over their "severely autistic", nine-year-old daughter.

But Mr Demanuele's reign of terror continued after he was released. He was jailed again in 2007 for making further death threats and relapsing. It was his third jail term as he had done three years in jail early in 2000, after he was found guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1998.

Yesterday, he was jailed for breaching the bail conditions of a pending case in which he is accused of threatening to murder his former girlfriend after it was established that he made fresh threats while on bail. When taking the witness stand, the 29-year-old woman had described one incident in which he had sent her an SMS saying he was waiting outside her work place with another man and that "she will not survive".

Another time, he taunted his daughter: "Did you kiss your mummy? Because it's the last time you're seeing her".

Previously, the court had heard how he had terrorised his daughter to a point where she would wake up at night to check that her mother was still alive.

Investigating officers testifying in the case and who had witnessed the "incessant calls" had said the woman was so frightened that a police escort was sent to her house to accompany her to the police station to file a report against the man.

Another witness to this aggressive behaviour was social worker Marisa Gatt who told the court that during a supervised visit between Mr Demanuele and his daughter he remarked "I stabbed her and would do it again".

Mr Demanuele denied all the charges brought against him but he was jailed yesterday for threatening the woman again and in so doing breaching the bail conditions.

In handing down judgment, Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani said she was morally and legally convinced that Mr Demanuele was guilty of breaching his bail conditions by making threatening phone calls.

The court said the seriousness of the threats deserves nothing less than a jail term. The personal guarantee of €5,824 granted when bail was given to him was forfeited and he was additionally fined €932.

The sentence will be sent to Magistrate Saviour Demicoli who is presiding over the original case on which he was granted bail.

Police Inspector Anthony Cassar prosecuted.

Lawyer Joe Brincat appeared for Mr Demanuele.