Updated | Mother and son rob elderly couple, police find cash in boy's shoe

A mother from St Paul’s Bay has been remanded in custody after being charged with robbing an elderly couple in her hometown, yesterday.

Unemployed Shirley al Omar, 45, was apprehended by an RIU patrol, who spotted a woman and a 13-year-old boy matching the description given by the victims. The police said the boy was al Omar's son.

Inspector Lydon Zammit told magistrate Ian Farrugia how yesterday police received a report of two elderly persons being robbed in St. Paul’s Bay.

The victims, aged 77 and 81, said that a woman and a boy had knocked on their door, asking for money to fund a hospital visit to treat an ear infection. The victims had let the two in, only to have two €50 notes which were on a table snatched by the pair before running away. The elderly woman had tried to give chase but was unable to catch them.

The pair were later apprehended by the RIU. Some €93 were found hidden in the boy’s shoe, the inspector said.

Lawyers Mario Mifsud and Kimily Borg Warne entered a plea of not guilty on the woman’s behalf. Bail was not requested at this stage, but the defence asked that the prosecution summon all its witnesses for the next sitting.