A man charged with the murder of a couple in Sliema has lost a constitutional case that he filed in order to be released on bail.

Daniel Muka is waiting to undergo a trial by jury on a charge of having brutally killed Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Piotr Maciejowsk while they were at their home in Sliema.

He did this while he was out on bail in connection with another case that involved a hold-up on a jewellery establishment in the same town in 2017.

While awaiting trial and after being repeatedly denied bail, Muka claimed that the state had breached his right to personal freedom by failing to introduce electronic tagging as an alternative to detention.

When relaying his response, Judge Francesco Depasquale reminded Muka of the seriousness of the accusations that he is being charged with, TVM News reported.

The judge added that Muka is forgetting that the alleged murders took place while he was out on bail in connection with other charges.

Referring to electronic tagging, Depasquale explained that while this could be an incentive for persons in jail to be given the opportunity to reintegrate into society, in cases like that of the accused, the request would have been superfluous.

Meanwhile, the judge said that the fear of Muka escaping the island is legitimate, and the most effective way to prevent that is through detention until he is provided with a sentence.

When considering the relative ease of escaping by sea to somewhere close like Sicily, Depasquale added that the electronic tagging does not guarantee that Muka would not abscond.

So, Depasquale denied the complaints raised by Muka in his constitutional case.

Do you agree with the court’s decision?