A married couple who allegedly swindled an elderly man after leading him to believe that the two were siblings rather than spouses has ended up behind bars, after being just seconds away from being granted bail. 

Ian Xuereb, 33, and his wife, Simone Xuereb, 35, landed under investigation some weeks ago after concerned relatives of a 65-year old man went to the police, claiming that the elderly man was being led to believe that the woman was showing a genuine interest in him.

When the woman broke the news that she was pregnant, the man was convinced that he was the father-to-be, dishing out cheques, gifts and other valuables while harbouring that false belief.

It was only when police told him that his 'partner' was in reality married to the man he thought was her brother, that the bubble burst.

The suspect duo were arrested and charged with defrauding the elderly man out of an amount exceeding €5,000, misappropriating his money. The alleged crime was aggravated by the fact that the fraud was allegedly committed to the detriment of a vulnerable person. 

They were further charged with defrauding three different commercial outlets of an amount under €5,000 each. 

The couple were also jointly charged with stealing the victim’s car, driving without a licence and necessary insurance cover as well as relapsing.

The man was separately charged with breaching bail conditions handed down five months ago and also with possession of heroin. 

Both of them pleaded not guilty.

When making submissions on bail, lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb argued that not only were the accused presumed innocent but both had abided by the conditions of police bail over the past month or so. 

When prosecuting inspector Eman Hayman pointed out that the accused had tried to contact their alleged victim, the lawyers rebutted that it had actually been the alleged victim who had tried to make contact via social media. 

After hearing what the prosecution had to say, the court, presided over by magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace, upheld the request for bail against a €5,000 deposit and a personal guarantee. 

But just as the court was about to finalise the decree and before the accused had signed it, an issue arose about the couple’s pets, which had been left unattended when the two had landed under police custody.

In spite of being warned repeatedly by the court and their lawyers not to interrupt, the two continued to speak up.

The magistrate promptly changed her mind. 

“If you cannot control yourselves in court in the magistrate’s presence, it is highly unlikely that you would do so elsewhere!” rapped Magistrate Micallef Stafrace, remanding the couple in custody.