A 35-year-old taxi driver on Sunday denied grievously injuring a Romanian man who he allegedly assaulted with a hammer on New Year’s Day. 

Christian Lawrence Desira, from Zejtun, pleaded not guilty to injuring Alin Mircea Ladariu and to threatening a Colombian national, Luis Pierino Vargas Garcia during the same incident.

Police Inspector Jonathan Cassar told Magistrate Doreen Clarke that the incident happened in St Julian’s at 3.20pm on New Year’s Day. 

In a statement on Friday the police said that the alleged victims went to the St Julian’s police station and told officers that they had been attacked by a man. Soon after, the taxi driver went to the police station to say that he had had an argument with two people.

Desira was granted bail against a €500 deposit and a €3,000 personal guarantee. He was also ordered to sign the bail book twice a week. 

Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb were defence counsel.

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