A 24-year-old man from Vittoriosa was yesterday charged with murdering the mother of his former girlfriend and with trying to kill her two children on May 8.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman ordered that the accused, Clive Farrugia, should be held in preventive custody at Mount Carmel Hospital's forensic unit. She further ordered that he should receive psychiatric help if need be and this in view of the fact that he had only been released from hospital a few hours before the arraignment and only three days ago was still in intensive care.

Defence lawyers Gianella Caruana Curran and Gianluca Caruana Curran accompanied Police Inspectors Daniel Zammit and Fabian Fleri into the magistrate's chambers to discuss the case before emerging to complete the formalities.

Mr Farrugia only spoke to confirm his name, age and address and told the court that he was employed as a cleaner.

He pleaded not guilty to murdering 61-year-old Mary Theresa Vella, to trying to kill her daughter Mary Grace and son Joseph, to causing serious injuries to Ms Vella and to slightly injuring Mr Vella.

He also denied carrying a knife, allegedly used in the attack, to the house where the murder took place and to another address on two separate days before the incident.

It is believed the incident occurred after Mr Farrugia, the father of Mary Grace Vella's son, broke into the victim's house in St Lazarus Street, Cospicua after he was told the relationship was over. The prosecution is expected to allege in court that the accused attacked both the victim and her daughter with a knife. On hearing the commotion, Mr Vella, a police sergeant with the Special Assignments Group who was sleeping upstairs, rushed downstairs and intervened in order to stop the attacker.

The case continues.