Four young men on Sunday pleaded not guilty to grievously injuring and illegally arresting a man.

The four men, Joshua Sciberras, 19, and Jeremy D’Amato, 20, of Santa Luċija, Keith Spiteri, 20 of Gudja, and Jide Mallia, 20 of Żejtun were also accused of stealing a bag and a mobile phone, which theft was aggravated by violence and value.

Mr Mallia alone was charged with trafficking drugs and of being a relapser.

Prosecutor Inspector Roderick Attard objected to bail on grounds of the gravity of the offences and the fear of tampering with evidence including eyewitnesses who still had to testify. 

In submissions for bail, defence lawyer Franco Debono, who together with lawyer Amadeus Cachia represented Mr Spiteri and Mr Mallia, held that the accused were still presumed innocent.

He said the victim could have been brought to testify during Sunday’s sitting and the court could impose any condition it deemed fit on the accused, including that they did not communicate in any manner with the victim. He pointed out that no weapons had been used in the incident. 

Lawyer Kris Busietta, who represented Mr Sciberras, held that this was not a serious crime and lawyer Albert Zerafa, who represented Mr D’Amato, said that people accused of similar incidents were not usually prosecuted under arrest.

The court, presided by Magistrate Marseann Farrugia, denied bail due to the fact that civilian witnesses still needed to testify and because of the seriousness of the charges.