Dastardly plot that went farcically wrong

An Italian man became so romantically obsessed with his landlady, wanting complete control over her, that he ordered two men to steal her mobile phone in an elaborate plot involving a bumper-to-bumper collision.

Only, the plan went horribly wrong, a court heard yesterday.

Police Inspector Carmel Magri testified that, as the police probed the incident, it became apparent that 59-year-old Oliviero Filisetti had become romantically obsessed with 38-year-old Joanna Beirne.

Mr Filisetti used to rent an apartment from her. But it got to the point that when he was away in Italy he wanted to know where she was, whom she was talking to and whom she was messaging on her mobile phone.

The officer was testifying in the first hearing of the compilation of evidence against Mr Filisetti, Michael St John Chircop, 41, also known as Mariella, and Matthew Joseph Sciberras, 29, who are pleading not guilty to holding Ms Beirne at gun point and stealing her car and mobile phone on November 28 last year.

According to the police officer, Mr Filisetti commissioned Mr St John Chircop to send threatening messages to Ms Beirne and to steal her mobile phone in order to exert complete control over her.

The original plan to get hold of the phone was for Mr St John Chircop and Mr Sciberras to crash into the back of Ms Beirne's car. When she got out of the car to check the damage one of them would take her phone which she usually left on the front seat. However, when the planned collision occurred there was a lot of traffic and people were hooting their horns.

So worried was Mr Sciberras of not managing to get hold of the phone - because he feared the wrath of Mr Filisetti - that he jumped into her car, held her at gun point and told her to drive, the officer testified.

As Mr Sciberras was fumbling with the phone and trying to put it into his pocket, the victim saw her chance to escape, got out of the car and ran into a shop. Her car was found some time later.

Investigations into who was sending the threatening messages led the police straight to Mr St John Chircop and when officers were escorting him to the depot for questioning he threw away the sim card used to make the threats via SMS.

The inspector said that the gun as described by Ms Beirne was never found, however, seven bullets were retrieved from Mr Sciberras's home and he claimed he planned to use them to make a necklace.

When asked whether Mr Filisetti had a full blown relationship with Ms Beirne, the inspector said it was not clear whether it was just a fling or a proper relationship.

The case continues.

Lawyers Andy Ellul and Vince Micallef appeared for Mr Filisetti.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti appeared for Mr Sciberras.

Lawyer Malcolm Mifsud appeared for Mr Chircop St John.