An off-duty police officer heading to work last month ended up arresting a knife-wielding man who attacked a woman outside a Birkirkara band club.

The incident happened on March 20 and was recounted in court on Wednesday, when a 24-year-old Birkirkara man who cannot be named by court order was arraigned in front of Magistrate Leonard Caruana and accused of attempting to grievously injure a woman, causing her slight injuries as well as attacking a police officer. 

Police Inspector Andrew Agius Bonello told the court that an off-duty policeman, who was in uniform as he was on his way to work, responded to cries for help coming from outside the St Anthony band club.

There he found a woman and an aggressive man who tried to lunge at him with a blade. The officer avoided injury and the man was placed under arrest.

Initial investigations indicated that the woman standing on the club’s parapet when she was approached by the accused. She said that she did not know him and felt threatened by his presence. 

This is when she noticed a knife in his hands and tried to run away from him. The accused, police said, gave chase and tried to stab her in the stomach. 

The blade snapped upon impact with the woman’s body and did not result in a stab wound, however, the accused allegedly picked up the felled blade and slashed at the woman, injuring her arms and neck.  These were later certified as slight injuries by a medical expert. 

The court heard that the accused was placed at Mount Carmel Hospital through an involuntary hold. 

He is pleading not guilty to the charges. 

Defence lawyer Malcolm Mifsud said that, notwithstanding the serious nature of the charges, the accused has a history of mental health issues and would be better served following a treatment order at the mental health hospital rather than at the Corradino Correctional Facility. 

The lawyer requested bail for his client, saying he intended to follow a 10-week treatment order at Mount Carmel and would then be released to his parents who will continue to supervise him.

The defence also asked the court to ban the publication of the accused’s name given the nature of his mental health difficulties. The man holds a steady job as a customer service representative in the gaming industry and considering the nature of his mental struggles, the publication of his name may aggravate his condition. 

The prosecution objected to the request for bail, arguing that while the accused did not know the victim in the incident, the altercation happened in the neighbourhood where it is common for several of the witnesses to congregate. Given the proximity to the accused’s home, it posed a fear that he could tamper with evidence. 

Despite his clean criminal record, the prosecution also said that it was not reassured that the accused’s mental state would remain stable and that another incident would not occur. 

A treatment order, they added could also be followed at the forensic unit at Mount Carmel Hospital while the accused remained in preventative custody. 

After hearing submissions, Magistrate Caruana denied the bail application but ordered that the man be sent to Mount Carmel Hospital where he could also receive treatment. 

The order for the ban on the publication of the accused’s name was also accepted. 

Lawyer Manuel Grech from the office of the Attorney General prosecuted. 

Lawyer Gianluca Cappitta also appeared for the accused.