Woman pleads not guilty after alleged knife attack in Gżira
The accused caused a commotion in court after she was denied bail
A 50-year-old woman was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to a series of charges related to an alleged violent attack and theft in Gżira, a court heard on Tuesday.
The accused, who is unemployed, pleaded not guilty to a series of charges, including causing grievous injuries and violent theft, while also causing a commotion in court after being denied bail.
The prosecution told the court that at around 1.50am on July 27, police officers stationed at the Gżira station received a report from the Control Room about a fight between two women in an apartment in the locality.
District police officers and members of the Rapid Intervention Unit went to the scene. Before they arrived, they encountered the accused, who claimed she had been assaulted by a woman after going to return €50 that she had borrowed.
The accused also alleged that the woman had attacked her with a knife. However, during a search, police allegedly found a knife and a clothes iron in the accused's possession.
When officers arrived at the apartment, the alleged victim answered the door and appeared to have sustained injuries.
The accused was charged with causing grievous bodily harm, committing violent theft, threatening and insulting the alleged victim, breaching the public peace, and committing the offences as a repeat offender.
While providing her personal details in court, the accused broke down in tears and repeatedly shouted, "My son, my son," before entering a plea of not guilty to the charges.
The defence requested bail, but the prosecution objected because the accused knew where the alleged victim lived and that she was considered a repeat offender.
The court upheld the prosecution's objection and denied the bail request.
As she was about to leave the courtroom, the accused shouted at the representative of the Attorney General: "Why are you laughing? Don't you have children?"
The magistrate ordered her to remain in the courtroom and warned that she could be fined for her behaviour. Before any such decision was taken, the accused apologised.
The magistrate told her that the apology should be addressed to the prosecution's representative rather than to him, and she did so before the proceedings concluded.