Man faces assault charges after return to Malta on European warrant

A man brought back to Malta on a European Arrest Warrant in a separate case was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to assault charges linked to a St Paul’s Bay fight.

Dusan Spasic, 35, a Serbian national who resides in St Paul’s Bay, was accused of grievously injuring another man and possessing a sharp object. He is also charged with theft.

Spasic walked into the court hall wearing a full medical bodysuit and face mask, due to a contagious skin infection. 

The case involves an alleged fight that took place in July 31 last year in Triq il-Kaħli, St Paul’s Bay, police inspector Bradley Grima told the court. The victim, who allegedly lost consciousness, filed a police report, presenting to police a medical certificate showing he suffered from grievous injuries and reported that €50 had been stolen from him. 

The victim identified Spasic to the police and showed officers his Facebook profile.

Suspended sentence, then rearrest

However police were not able to arrest Spasic until March 18, two days ago because he was out of the country.

He was taken to Malta following a European Arrest Warrant issued in connection with a separate 2024 misappropriation case. The case involved misappropriating €790 euro from his previous employer. He was taken to court the same day he arrived and was handed a suspended sentence for that case.

Then he was rearrested for the 2025 case and taken to the Floriana police headquarters to have his statement taken for the 2025 accusations. He pleaded not guilty.

Defence lawyer Yanica Barbara Sant did not contest the validity of the arrest but requested bail for her client, saying he was the only person allegedly involved in the incident.  

She said she found it hard to believe that police had based the arrest on the fact that the victim identified him.

She said the accused has been living in Malta for 8 years, and recently travelled to Serbia to renew his passport. She said he left Malta through the proper channels.

She asked if any CCTV footage in the street where the alleged attack happened had been checked, and Grima said it had not. She said the victim has not yet testified.

The prosecution argued that bail should be denied because the victim still had to testify, and there were concerns that evidence would be tampered with.

“My client should not remain arrested based on a report by the victim who still needs to testify,” Barbara said, adding that a victim protection order would address concerns about evidence tampering.

The court denied the man bail. Barbara Sant asked that the alleged victim testify in the next sitting. Magistrate Tanya Sammut presided over the court.