An “aggressive” youth who allegedly vandalised a number of parked cars in St Paul’s Bay on Monday was remanded in custody after “gently” protesting his innocence. 

Timothy Obiagebna, a 25-year-old Nigerian who lives in St Paul’s Bay, was escorted to court facing charges over the fracas he allegedly caused when a call from the police control room alerted the Qawra district officers to the man’s presence on the streets. 

A stranger was allegedly smashing car windshields, the officers were told. 

There was no sign of the suspect aggressor when a police patrol rushed on site, but the man was soon tracked down close to the Qawra church, holding a long metal bar, a knife with a 20-centimetre blade and a long metal fork, prosecuting Inspector Ryan Vella explained.

Initially, the suspect cooperated and put down the dangerous instruments when ordered to do so by the police.

But as he was about to be handcuffed and escorted to the police car, he turned aggressive, slightly injured one of the officers and also caused damage to the vehicle. 

That was when the police resorted to pepper spray, the inspector explained. 

The man was charged with willful damage to five cars and also the police car, possession of sharp instruments, violently resisting arrest, threatening and insulting officers, slightly injuring one of them and also breaching the peace.

“I’m not guilty,” the accused, who said that he is currently jobless, answered in a gentle voice after the charges were explained to him by the court. 

No request for bail was made at the arraignment stage and the court, presided over by magistrate Rachel Montebello, remanded the accused in custody. 

Lawyer Daniel Attard was legal aid counsel.