A family of Valletta residents was left in shock when a man in a helmet attacked their property with a crowbar on Monday, smashing a glass window. 

The perpetrator was caught on CCTV camera walking along the pavement past the property on St Paul Street, and then returning to the property to smash its glass.

In the footage, the man can be seen hitting the glass with all his might around six times before proceeding down the road.

Dressed in black and wearing a closed helmet, he was not identifiable from the footage.

The property is owned by architect Chris Briffa, who flagged the attack in a Facebook post.

Although one perpetrator was seen on camera, Briffa spoke of two people involved in the incident with one waiting on a moped. 

“Masked men from head to toe, attacking our property with a crowbar in the middle of a Monday night.

The glass was seen being hit around six times.

“Our guests, staying one flight of stairs up had the shock of their lives, on their last night in Malta.

“My family and I, a couple of floors up, have not been able to sleep properly since.”

Briffa questioned whether it was an attempted break-in, or a direct attack, adding “we will probably never know”.

But reactions of support to his post pointed out that it appeared to be “very much premeditated and meticulously planned”, given the choice of attire, ‘tools’ carried and the covered number plate of a motorbike.

Police investigations into this case are currently underway after a report was made early on Monday morning.

It stated that at around 1.30am, a guest at a residence in St Paul Street heard loud banging on the glass window, the police said.

"Once the guest went to check from the balcony, the unknown person, who had damaged the glass, had already left."

The glass pane was smashed using a crowbar, according to the property owner.

Briffa said the “two cowards” ran off when the lights from the guests’ bedroom came on.

Commenting on the state of Valletta in 2024, he said he has lived in the city for almost 25 years, “in a safe environment, sometimes not even locking our front doors. Not any more it seems.

“Valletta’s degeneration takes new heights.”

Artist Alfred Camilleri, offering his solidarity on Facebook to Briffa and his young family and guests, echoed his thoughts, saying “Valletta seems to have been left to its unfortunate fate.

“The plea of its residents for tranquillity and safety has been disregarded for far too long while the city is fast losing its charm and security.

“Pity and shame!”