Mikaela Attard.

A Maltese singer and her friend, victims of a recent violent mugging on the streets of Paceville, on Thursday recounted their harrowing experience in open court in the presence of their alleged aggressor.

Tripoli-born 37-year old Munir Mohamed Ali Gammudi sat in the dock, assisted by an interpreter, as artist Mikaela Attard and her friend Monica Agius, recounted what happened on February 18, while the two were out with friends in Paceville.

While sitting on a low wall, waiting for their friends who were still inside a club, two strangers had approached the women. One of them, speaking in English, asked for a cigarette.

As the singer’s friend duly handed over her packet of cigarettes, the same man asked whether she had a boyfriend.

“Yes, he's coming soon,” the singer’s friend had replied.

Yet, no sooner had she spoken than the man's companion, identified in court by both women as the accused, "in an instant" whipped out a penknife and held it against Ms Attard's throat, before succeeding in pulling away her handbag.

As the men ran off, followed by the two friends who were heading in the direction of a nearby club to seek help, the accused turned back and repeatedly attempted to stab Ms Attard, making "multiple movements directed at her stomach", the court heard.

Asked by the prosecution whether she recalled the weapon used in the aggression, Ms Agius explained that it was a penknife with a "light-coloured wooden handle".

As magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, presiding over the compilation of evidence, opened a brown envelope exhibited by the prosecution and carefully drew out  weapon, Ms Agius nodded when asked whether it could possibly be the same knife seen on the night of the aggression.

"The men ran off fast. We could not catch up with them on high heels," the same witness explained, recalling how they had called out to alert third parties nearby.

"Catch them! They've got the bag," the two had shouted, their cries for help alerting security guards at a nearby establishment who managed to capture the accused, pinning him down and returning the stolen bag to its lawful owner.

Afterwards, the women filed a report at the police station, returning to the club to inform their friends about their ordeal and to thank the security guards who had intervened.

“We stayed on for some three hours," Ms Agius declared, in reply to a question by the court.

The alleged aggressor is currently facing charges of aggravated theft, possession of a knife while committing an offence against the person as well as relapsing.

At the end of the hearing, the court declared there were sufficient grounds for the accused to be placed under a bill of indictment.

Inspector Matthew Spagnol prosecuted.

Lawyer Noel Bartolo was defence counsel.