A victim of theft and the suspected thief met at the St Julian's police station on Monday morning, where each went to file police reports.
The suspected thief, George-Bogdan Cristiean, a 29-year-old Romanian ticket-seller, landed in the dock, arm in a sling, after having allegedly been badly beaten up by a gang of ‘Arabs’.
As he was giving this version of events to officers at the St Julian’s police station, he came face to face with the woman who had gone to file a report about the theft.
The woman told police that her mobile and cash had gone missing while she was at the bathroom of a St Julian's club. She claimed to have spotted the accused enter the toilets at the time.
She also said that security guards at the establishment had subsequently frisked the man before he left the place. Her phone had allegedly been found inside the accused's underpants.
The accused allegedly stole cash and the phone from the ladies’ bathroom.
The suspect thief was arrested and arraigned on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to stealing some €70 in cash and a Samsung phone, being in possession of an unlicenced flick knife and in the unlawful possession of pepper spray.
He was further charged with relapsing and with committing the said offences during the operative term of a suspended sentence.
Defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi requested the Court to order the gathering of all CCTV footage from the site of the incidents.
The court, presided over by magistrate Charmaine Galea, upheld the request, appointing an expert to analyse the footage.
A request for bail was objected to by prosecuting inspector Joseph Xerri who argued that the man had no ties in Malta, had previously faced theft charges and moreover, the alleged victim was still to testify.
Dr Azzopardi rebutted those arguments, pointing out that the accused had a fixed residence, had family members even accompanying him in court, one of whom was willing to step in as third party guarantor.
However, after hearing submissions by both parties, the Court turned down the request, pointing out that there existed a real fear of absconding and, besides, the offences had allegedly been committed while the man had been under a suspended sentence.