Fabio Psaila jailed for breach of bail conditions

The man who had been on the run for three weeks, Fabio Psaila, was yesterday jailed for six months after admitting that he breached bail conditions when he did not turn up at the Ħamrun police station to sign in once a week.

Mr Psaila changed his plea from Wednesday’s court hearing when he had replied not guilty to the charges of breach of bail conditions which had been imposed by a magistrates’ court in September 2008.

Earlier this week, in a separate arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to various charges which included the attempted hold-up of the HSBC Qormi headquarters earlier this year and the attempted murder of the two police constables who cut it short.

He was also charged with the attempted theft from jeweller Michael Mizzi and his son Silvio in Attard on December 3 when three men tried to rob them just outside their home with a sawn-off shotgun. But the son wrestled the weapon out of their hands and fired it at the robbers, allegedly wounding Mr Psaila.

In fact, he went missing after the hold-up and was marked as a wanted man by the police until he gave himself in at the Floriana headquarters on Boxing Day.

Police Inspector Anthony Portelli explained to Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna yesterday that he dropped all his other cases and looked for Mr Psaila everywhere during those three weeks.

“I thank the Lord that he turned himself in as I can dedicate myself to the other cases and continue my work,” he said.

Defence counsel Arthur Azzopardi explained that his client’s only fault was not to sign his bail book after November 22. “He did not miss any court sittings – if he did, then it would have been the worst kind of breach of bail,” he argued.

Also, Mr Psaila had turned himself in, Dr Azzopardi said.

But Insp. Portelli disagreed. “Bail is not only granted so that the accused appears in court and it’s not as though Mr Psaila went to Gozo – he was wanted for three weeks and everyone was searching for him.

“Mr Psaila came back full of lead – I went with him to hospital and saw the X-Rays,” Insp. Portelli said.

The X-Rays, taken on Sunday, revealed that Mr Psaila had gunshot pellets lodged deep inside his body.

Another man, Darren Debono, known as Il-Topo, was injured in the Attard hold-up and is still under medical care at hospital.

In handing down judgment, Magistrate Apap Bologna jailed Mr Psaila for six months and said that another court would have to decide whether Mr Psaila lost the personal guarantee of €2,000 imposed in 2008.

Mr Psaila was yesterday wearing a dark blue suit, looking very different from the two previous days when he was wearing a sports tracksuit.

He was mentioned in the testimony of Police Constable Mario Portelli during the compilation of evidence against former police inspector and lawyer David Gatt, who is charged with masterminding at least three hold-ups and advising criminals on a fourth.

PC Portelli said Mr Psaila was implicated in the alleged criminal gang of Dr Gatt, who considered him as “the general” in his criminal organisation.

Police Inspector Mario Haber prosecuted. Lawyers Manwel Mallia and Kathleen Grima appeared for Mr Psaila.