A man who allegedly mugged an elderly couple in Marsa, in breach of his bail conditions, was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty upon his arraignment on Monday.

Wayne Delia, a 33-year-old unemployed Paola resident, was charged with the violent robbery which took place on October 22 along Triq Diċembru 13. The victim, a 70-year-old woman was walking by with her elderly husband.

The court heard that a male stranger had come up to her as she bent down to retrieve a bracelet that had come loose.  Insisting that the jewellery piece was his, the accused persisted in stalking the woman as she and her husband went on their way.

The stranger kept following the couple all the way from Ħamrun to Blata l-Bajda, prosecuting Inspector Fabian Fleri explained.  

As the woman took hold of her mobile phone to call the police for help, the stranger suddenly grabbed the phone, shoved her with the result that she was knocked over.

Inspector Fleri recounted that her husband had to be admitted to hospital after he allegedly suffered from heart attack due to this traumatic experience.

The suspect thief was ultimately tracked down and linked to another theft from a vending machine that allegedly took place at Pieta’ in July, a matching fingerprint on the machine serving as further evidence against him.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to both thefts, to slightly injuring the 70-year old pedestrian, relapsing and breaching two prior bail decrees.

The prosecution objected to a fresh request for bail in view of the fact that the elderly couple were yet to testify. Furthermore, Inspector Fleri noted that this was the umpteenth time in which the accused had relapsed and that his  criminal record that was “pages long.”

Defence lawyer George Anton Buttigieg insisted that the only evidence sdo far seemed to be the testimony of the alleged victims and “the fingerprint on the vending machine.”

After hearing submissions by both parties the court, presided over by magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace, denied the accused bail since the elderly victims were still to testify.

Inspectors Robert Vella and Lydon Zammit also prosecuted.

Lawyer Daniel Buttigieg appeared parte civile for the victims.