A husband and wife who had rushed to the assistance of an elderly Sliema couple when they were violently mugged in their hometown in May had initially thought the aggressor was an ordinary passer-by.

The events of that evening, on the corner of Triq Nicolo Isouard and Triq Dun Karm, were recalled by the married couple who took the witness stand in proceedings against Simon Camilleri, a 52-year-old Cospicua resident, currently charged as the suspect behind the violent episode.

The man was arraigned in June, pleading not guilty to the mugging as well as to his alleged involvement in a suspect gang of robbers who had committed an armed hold-up at a Paola convenience store in April.

“I did not harm them” Le jaħasra m’għamiltilhom xejn the stranger had uttered as he walked away from the spot where the 91-year-old victim lay on the ground, blood dripping down his face as his 87-year-old wife crouched over him.

Their frantic cries for help had attracted the attention of the two witnesses who, on Thursday, testified as to how they had just parted company with the elderly victims who they met after the Saturday evening mass at St Gregory’s Church.

The elderly woman had been a former teacher of the woman, now in her sixties, who on Thursday took the witness stand, identifying the man in the dock as the suspect aggressor she had seen, wearing dark trousers and a cap, walking away from the victims on that May evening in broad daylight.

“I recognise faces,” said the woman, as she hesitantly cast her gaze around the courtroom, indicating the accused as the suspect aggressor.

What happened to the elderly couple?

“He had been walking away from the couple in our direction. At first we thought he had stopped to help them,” the woman said, as she recalled how she had heard the stranger mumbling, “I didn’t take anything from them. I did not harm them.” Jaħasra jien ma ħadtilhom xejn. M’għamiltilhom xejn.

As the man walked away, she had turned her attention to the bleeding man, dialling 112 for help and redialing within three minutes in her urgency to get help as quickly as possible.

She had obtained a blanket and covered the victim who was visibly trembling, blood trickling from his face and hands. 

Medics who arrived at the scene at first did not seem to gauge the gravity of the man’s injuries until they realised that his hand tendons were showing and rushed him to hospital, the woman testified.

Her husband likewise recalled how they had chatted briefly to the elderly couple after leaving the church through the side door on Norfolk Street. 

They had parted company and were walking towards the Sliema seafront when they heard cries of ‘Help! Help!’ at the crossing of Dun Karm Street and Isouard Street.

The witness recalled how he had rushed to the assistance of his elderly friends, spotting a male stranger standing close by. 

Turning towards this man, the witness had urged, “Come help me lift him (the victim) up.”

But the stranger had walked away, mumbling something that sounded like, “I didn’t do anything to him.” M’għamiltlu xejn.

The witness said that he had immediately focused his attention on the 92-year-old, recalling that the stranger had been wearing dark clothes and had some sort of parcel in his hands.

However, he could not quite identify the suspect in court, saying that “it wouldn’t be fair”.

The case continues.

Inspector Lydon Zammit prosecuted. Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene Darmanin were defence counsel.