An Italian youth on a three-day holiday in Malta will remain under preventive custody after allegedly snatching an €800 necklace off a fellow national who was partying at a Paceville nightclub.

Yuri Contu, 28, from Turin, was arraigned on Friday over the incident which allegedly took place in the early hours of Thursday morning at around 3.15am.

Prosecuting Inspector Brian Xuereb told the court that officers from the St Julian’s police station were alerted to the incident involving a young Italian woman studying in Malta. 

Some commotion broke out at the Paceville club when the alleged victim cried out that her necklace had been snatched right off her neck. 

The suspect was tracked down and arrested, insisting that he had nothing to do with it. 

Police found nothing in his possession and he opted for silence when interrogated.

However, a friend of the alleged victim later told police that she had seen the suspect hand over “something” to four other guys who fled the scene. 

On Friday, the young man was escorted to court, pleading not guilty to theft, aggravated by value and time.

His lawyer, Maurice Meli, argued that the accused was insisting that it was not him.

The young man had a job in Italy and would face difficulties unless he returned to his job, the lawyer argued, adding that the accused’s parents were willing to cover any adequate deposit imposed for bail.

However, the prosecution objected to bail in view of the fact that civilian witnesses are still to testify and the fact that the accused has no ties on the island.

In fact, he had been meant to leave on Saturday. 

The police had been told of similar incidents and had obtained footage showing other people, he said.

The accused’s lawyer argued that his client had cooperated from the start, was still presumed innocent and that the risk of tampering was practically non-existent. 

However, after hearing submissions, the court, presided over by magistrate Charmaine Galea, turned down the request for bail.

Inspector Brian Xuereb prosecuted. Lawyer Maurice Meli was defence counsel.