A man who was arrested on Sunday night following a six-hour standoff with police was arraigned on Friday.

On the day he locked himself inside his Pieta’ apartment, armed with a shotgun and surrounded with fighting dogs. 

Srdjan Stevanovic, a 38-year old Serbian national, was escorted to court five days after the violent episode that unfolded on Sunday evening in Qrejten Street, kicking off at around 7.30pm when the police were alerted to the presence of an armed man who was allegedly threatening residents and damaging parked cars.

Officers who rushed to the scene found the man locked inside his ground floor apartment. When knocking on the door, the officers were met by the man, armed with a large knife and a shotgun. Police later said that the man had threatened to shoot the gun. 

He was finally arrested, after the long standoff, when police fired flashbangs, forced the door open and moved in. 

On Friday afternoon the man was charged with a string of offences including assaulting and resisting the police officers and insulting or threatening them, with the offences being aggravated by the use of arms. 

He was also charged with breaching bail. 

He pleaded not guilty. 

Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca requested the appointment of a psychiatrist to examine the accused since the man was apparently paranoid and suffered psychotic episodes. 

The court, presided over by magistrate Astrid May Grima, said that a psychiatrist had already been appointed by the magistrate conducting the inquiry. 

No request for bail was made and the court recommended that the accused be given the necessary medical attention at the Forensic Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital. 

Inspectors Fabian Fleri, Lydon Zammit, Shawn Pawney and Jonathan Ransley prosecuted.