A man, suspected of stabbing a British youth during an argument at Tigné earlier this month, has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty upon his arraignment on Tuesday. 

Hisham Ali Abuagilla, a 37-year old Libyan national was escorted to court following his arrest on Sunday evening when he was spotted along the Qui Si Sana seafront. On the day he was surrounded by officers from the Homicide Squad and Sliema district and taken into custody.

The stabbing took place in the area of Tigné Point, Sliema, at around 5.20am on August 6, when the two men were allegedly involved in an argument.

The alleged victim, a 21-year old Briton, was currently in a stable condition, the court was informed.

Meanwhile, the suspect aggressor was arraigned on Tuesday, the eve of his 38th birthday, pleading not guilty to attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and breach of peace.

He was further charged with being in possession of a sharp or pointed instrument without the necessary police licence both on the day of the alleged stabbing and also when he was arrested on Sunday. 

He was also charged with possession of cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis resin and cannabis plant under circumstances denoting that the drugs were not solely for his personal use. 

Accused has been living in Malta for 18 years

Defence lawyer Noel Bianco put forward a request for bail, arguing that the accused had been living in Malta for the past 18 years and only had a minor brush with the law dating back to 2016.

He argued that the incident revolved around an argument between the two men and to date, the case was based upon allegations that still had to be proved, pointing out that the court could impose all conditions it deemed necessary to secure bail.

However, the prosecution countered that the accused’s personal documents were expired and if granted bail, he might prove very difficult to trace in case he absconded. 

In spite of all their joint efforts, it had taken police over a week to track down the suspect, argued AG lawyer George Camilleri, adding that the suspect appeared to have the know-how and the means of lying low.

Moreover, the alleged victim was still to testify and the charges were serious, the prosecution argued.

“He’s no law-abiding citizen,” said the prosecution lawyer. 

As for the weapon found in his possession, it was typical for workers in the plastering and construction industry to carry such an instrument, the defence lawyer argued further.

The accused had no proof of employment, pointed out AG lawyer Etienne Savona, prompting the defence lawyer to point out that such “an illegal practice” appeared to be rampant.

“But that’s a problem for the authorities,” Bianco argued. 

Moreover, since the accused needed an Arabic speaking interpreter in court, the lawyer cast doubt on the validity of the man’s police statements which were released without the assistance of an interpreter. 

However, the prosecuting officer pointed out that the suspect had turned down the suggestion of an interpreter prior to interrogation, claiming that he understood Maltese well. 

After hearing submissions by both parties, the court, presided over by magistrate Monica Vella, turned down the request for bail, while upholding the prosecution’s requests for a Protection Order in favour of the alleged victim and a Freezing Order over all the accused’s assets.

Inspectors Colin Sheldon and Wayne Camilleri prosecuted, assisted by AG lawyers George Camilleri and Etienne Savona.