An 18-year-old caught with a garage full of explosive material and plans to bomb key areas including parliament has pleaded insanity.
David Brincat of Santa Venera entered the plea in court on Tuesday, with his lawyers saying he was not in a sound state of mind at the time of the offence.
The court upheld that plea and appointed three psychiatrists to assess Brincat’s mental state over the past year.
Brincat was caught after an explosive device was detonated inside a garbage bin outside Labour HQ earlier this month.
The device exploded at around 2am and nobody was injured, but the incident triggered a police investigation that led them to a garage where Brincat was living.
Inside, they found significant amounts of chemicals and materials used to make explosives.
Further investigation led police to believe Brincat had also placed explosives outside two pharmacies in St Venera and Birkirkara and had plans to target other sites, including parliament.
He was subsequently charged with a raft of serious crimes, including terrorism-related charges.
Brincat, who was held for some days at Mount Carmel Hospital after his arrest, was subsequently certified by a psychiatrist as fit for interrogation and trial.
He returned to court on Tuesday, when he filed his insanity plea.
Prosecutors told the court that Brincat appears to have started concretely planning his bombs and acquiring materials to manufacture them in May 2023. Certain ideas and discussions with third parties extended beyond that year….but that was more about ideology,” prosecuting inspector Lydon Zammit told the court.
Psychiatrists Christian Sant, Anton Grech and Nigel Camilleri must now assess Brincat’s mental state stretching back to that date and report back to the court. In the meantime, legal time limits for the compilation of evidence stage of proceedings will remain frozen.
A clean-shaven Brincat sat silently throughout the hearing, wearing a greyish-brown suit.
He was remanded to the forensic unit at Mount Carmel, walking quietly out of the courtroom and gesturing briefly. His eyes lit up momentarily as he waved to anxious relatives seated at the back of the hall.
The case was deferred to next month when the experts are expected to report on Brincat’s mental state at the time of the offences.
If they conclude that Brincat was insane at the time when he committed crimes, the records are sent to the Attorney General, who may appeal. Time limits are short.
If the experts conclude that he was not insane, the court will proceed with the hearing of witnesses. The first one will be one of the lead investigators, prosecuting inspector Zammit, who informed the court that his testimony would take up an hour or more.
The court was presided by Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi.
AG lawyers Kaylie Bonett and Joseph Camilleri Azarov, together with police inspectors Wayne Camilleri and Lydon Zammit prosecuted. Lawyers Nicholas Mifsud, Mario Mifsud, Lara Attard and legal procurator Colin Galea were defence counsel.