Two charged in holding up man at knifepoint

Costantino Felice, 34, of Qormi and Dalaia Zammit of Valletta have been remanded in custody after being charged with robbing a man at knifepoint and slightly injuring him last November.

The pair were wanted for a hold-up on a 50-year-old man in Msida on 15 November. The hold-up happened in Triq Giorgio Mitrovich, Gżira in the early morning hours when the man from Hamrun was approached by the pair and threatened with a pen knife. Various valuable items and a mobile phone were stolen from the victim, who was in his car.

The BMW vehicle in which the pair were arrested was the same one used in the hold-up last month (Photo: Police)

The police said officers from the Major Crimes Unit had been following the pair as they drove in their BMW. They were surrounded and stopped in Pietà.

The vehicle they were in yesterday was the same one used in last month’s hold-up.

They were arraigned before magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace this morning, with Inspector Lydon Zammit prosecuting together with Inspectors Stephen Gulia and Colin Sheldon.

Both accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, while lawyers Ishmael Psaila and Shawn Zammit requested bail for the accused.

The prosecution objected to their release, pointing to the nature of the crime and the fact that neither accused could be trusted on account of their long criminal records. They had no fixed address, added Inspector Gulia.

Psaila argued that the crime had taken place in November and the accused had cooperated with the police. This materially contradicted any argument that they could tamper with evidence, he said.

The court, however, denied bail.