An elderly woman quietly cooking in her kitchen ended up being dragged across her home and hit on the head by three men who barged in when she opened the door for her, a trial has heard.

The hold-up took place 19 years ago and the woman, who was 69 at the time, has since died.

But her testimony before a magistrate was read out in court during the trial of one of the three men on Monday.

Keith Cremona, 36, who was seventeen years old when the alleged violent robbery took place in July 2005, stands accused of involvement in a violent armed robbery, holding the woman against her will and seriously injuring her. He has pleaded not guilty.  

The trial, presided by Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera, started on Monday and is expected to end later on Tuesday. 

Recalling her ordeal, the woman, Bernardetta Meilaq, had testified how that July morning, around 9.30am, she was cooking in the kitchen of her home in Ta' Giorni Road, St Julian's, when the doorbell rang.

Wrapping a towel around her chest, she headed to the front door.

Three strangers were standing outside and immediately barged in, pushing her aside, causing her to fall.

They demanded money but she told them she had none, pleading with them to take her gold valuables instead.

But one of the robbers insisted that he wanted cash, saying that he had “two kids” and needed money.

While two of the intruders rummaged through her possessions, the third, later identified as Cremona, dragged her along the corridor floor, right up to the kitchen where he grabbed a cordless phone and hit her on the head, the woman had testified.

He also twisted her right arm so roughly that she suffered a dislocated shoulder.

The pain was “agonizing,” she said.

She also told police the men were armed with a hunting shotgun.

The robbers fled the scene after they managed to find some Lm200 (460 euro) tucked inside a purse.

Dazed and in pain, blood dripping from the cut on her head, the victim managed to make it to the front door but collapsed on the porch.

Police get a tip-off after years of investigation

The court was told that investigations kicked off but it was years later that police received confidential information which pointed at Cremona’s alleged involvement in the crime.

Four of his fingerprints allegedly matched those found on a wooden chest inside the residence where the violent robbery had taken place.

Cremona was subsequently charged in 2012 with aggravated theft, unlawfully holding his victim against her will as well as grievous bodily harm.

After hearing a number of witnesses, the court heard submissions by both parties, with final arguments by the defence wrapped up on Tuesday.

Judgment is expected later this evening.

AG lawyers Kevin Valletta and Ramon Bonett Sladden are prosecuting.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi, David Gatt and Ishmael Psaila are defence counsel.