An Education Officer was handed a suspended sentence today and fined €1,200 after he was found guilty of threatening a judge when he told her he would sleep outside her house if she ordered him to leave his matrimonial home.

Vincent Martin Carabott, 57, of Birkirkara, was sentenced to a year  in jail suspended for two years by Magistrate Josette Demicoli who said that the only interpretation that could be given to what he had told the judge was a direct threat aimed at attempting to influence the judge in her decision.

Mr Carabott was convicted of threatening Madam Justice Lofaro at the Law Courts on January 8.

The magistrate said Mr Carabott had chosen his words carefully and had even accused Madam Justice Abigail Lofaro that she lacked impartiality.

"If you do not agree with a decision, there are the appropriate fora where one could appeal them but saying what you did is not acceptable. Disagreeing with a decision does not mean that the judge is corrupt, as was claimed," the magistrate said in her decision.
She said that although Mr Carabott was insisting that it was never meant as a threat, there was only one interpretation to what had been said.

"Someone's home is where people find security. Telling someone that you're going to sleep behind their front door is a direct threat at the person's security, aimed at scaring the person and limiting their freedom. The tone and the context in which it was said confirms the court's firm belief that this was, in fact, a threat," she said.

In the circumstances, and given his clean criminal record, Magistrate Demicoli ruled that an effective prison term was not appropriate. She therefore jailed him for a year suspended for two and fined him €1,200.

She also issued a protection order in favour of the judge and her family against a €1,500 fine in default.

After the magistrate read out the judgment, Mr Carabott asked her to convert the fine into an effective jail term as he had no money to pay it. After explaining that the court could not do that, Mr Carabott gave notice of appeal.

Police inspector Sylvana Briffa prosecuted. Mr Carabott was not represented by any lawyer as he insisted on representing himself during the proceedings.
Lawyer Joe Giglio, appeared parte civile for Madam Justice Lofaro and her family.