A man described in court today how he jumped off a balcony to flee a knife-wielding man who his father had sacked from their Chinese restaurant for overcooking fried prawns.

Kevin Penghcheng Zhang told Magistrate Doreen Clarke how he was so frightened that he jumped off a balcony onto a neighbour’s roof a storey below.

The details emerged during the compilation of evidence against Xiao Guan, a 29-year-old Chinese kitchen assistant who stands charged with threatening two men with the knife on the same day that his reports of employment abuse were reported by The Sunday Times of Malta.

In the story, the man complained of receiving only €752 for all the hours of work he had performed between April and October 8. He also claimed he had been threatened and assaulted by his boss.

Police Inspector Robert Said Sarreo said these claims were being investigated by another police department. His investigation had focused on the October 18 incident when Mr Xiao allegedly chased his former colleagues with a knife.

The inspector said the large, square chopping knife was snatched from Mr Xiao’s hands by a Ghanaian man who happened to be passing by the Marsa apartment on October 18. This was handed over to the police upon their arrival.

Mr Zhang told the court that Mr Xiao was not good at his job and had threatened kitchen staff with a knife at the Valletta Waterfront restaurant when his attention was drawn to the fact that he was overcooking fried prawns.

This incident took place on October 5 and he was told not to return to work. A letter was sent to him three days later confirming that his employment had been terminated. He was also given 10 days to leave the apartment which his bosses had provided for him in Patri Felicjan Bilocca in Marsa.

Mr Zhang stopped by the flat on his way to work to see if Mr Xiao had left but he was still there. He said Mr Xiao told him he would not leave the flat until he is paid what he is owed.

Mr Zhang told him that he had been paid all what he was owed and an argument ensued. “He became aggressive and I ran out of his bedroom and he chased me. He cornered me in the kitchen, grabbed and knife and started threatening me with it. I was so scared I ran back upstairs and jumped out of the balcony onto an adjoining roof,” he said.

He said Mr Xiao ran downstairs, threatening the restaurant general manager who was waiting downstairs. From the roof he used his mobile to take photographs of what was happening. The pictures were presented in court as evidence.

Referring to the restaurant incident, Mr Zhang said Mr Xiao had become aggressive and threatened to kill the head chef. 

Earlier, Inspector Said Sarreo told the court that the police found €2,100 hidden under the mattress in the man’s room.

He said that during his interrogation, Mr Xiao denied chasing the men with a knife, adding that it was Mr Zhang who had threatened him with a frying pan after having taken two of his mobile phones.

Under cross examination, the inspector said the knife had not been examined for fingerprints.

At the end of the sitting, Magistrate Clarke remanded Mr Xiao in custody after noting that his application requesting bail was only filed this morning and had been sent to the Attorney General’s office for its reply. She promised to decree in camera.

The case continues on November 18.

Lawyer Christopher Chircop appeared for Mr Xiao while lawyer Alexander Schembri appeared parte civile for the alleged victims.