A suspect aggressor involved in a violent assault, footage of which made the media rounds on Thursday, was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty on Friday.

Omar Isse Mohammed, a 24-year-old Somali national, had allegedly formed part of a gang of five who approached their victim, a Nigerian, on St George’s Road, Paceville asking for a lighter at 4.30am on Thursday.

The victim, who had withdrawn a €100 note from an ATM and was on his way to buy a pizza, suddenly found himself under attack by an evidently drunk aggressor.

“When I reached in my pocket, his friend took my phone out of my pocket. When I tried to take it back, he [the accused] punched me in the eye,” explained the victim, when taking the witness stand, pointing in the direction of his alleged aggressor during Friday’s arraignment.

The witness confessed that he had never expected to be assaulted by someone who shared his skin colour.

“Because they’re black like me, so I free my mind for them,” he said, while testifying before leaving Malta shortly.

“I fell down and I don’t remember what happened. I woke up in hospital,” continued the man, saying that he was not sure who had hit him on the head, although he did identify the accused as one of his aggressors.

“It was definitely him, I can swear on this bible.”

As a result of the attack, the man had suffered injuries to his eye, the back of his head and left elbow, besides ending up with a very sore neck that limited his movement. He had been discharged from hospital on Thursday at around 5pm.

The suspect aggressor was charged with theft aggravated by violence, slight bodily harm and being drunk in public.

Prosecuting Inspector Matthew Spagnol explained that the man had been unsteady on his feet, owing to his intoxication, up to 8.30pm on Thursday.

Defence lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace said that since the accused had no recollection of the fight, he was registering a not guilty plea. 

Bail was not requested at this stage and the man was remanded in custody.