A man accused of robbing a woman at knifepoint in Pietà pleaded not guilty to charges on Saturday and was placed into police custody after he declined to request bail.

Abubacarr Darno, 24 and with no fixed address, is alleged to have robbed a Colombian woman of her mobile phone after holding a knife to her throat on Thursday evening in Pietá.

He was apprehended a few minutes after the robbery was reported, with police identifying Darno based on a physical description provided by the theft victim and then finding the stolen phone in his possession.

Prosecutors on Saturday charged him with violent robbery, detaining the woman against her will and having a weapon without a valid licence.

Darno pleaded not guilty to those charges. He did not request bail and was therefore automatically remanded into police custody by magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace

Inspectors Lydon Zammit, Stephen Gulia and Roderick Attard prosecuted. Lawyer Joe Brincat was defence counsel.

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