Man accused of grievously injuring grandmother denied bail

An unemployed man has been denied bail after being charged with grievously injuring his grandmother and using her money.

The accused, a 27-year-old man whose name is being withheld due to the nature of the case, appeared in court on charges stemming from a series of incidents that allegedly took place earlier this month.

He is also accused of committing the act against an elderly woman, aware of her vulnerability.

Additionally, he is charged with unlawfully detaining his grandmother against her will, and, in a separate incident, stealing between €232.94 and €2,329.37 from her Revolut account.

The prosecution further alleges that he unlawfully accessed computer systems to retrieve data or documentation without the required authority.

Although the man pleaded not guilty to the charges, he did not contest the legality of his arrest, stating that he believed it had been conducted fairly.

The accused initially refused legal representation, insisting on defending himself.

However, the court clarified that legal assistance is a right and comes at no cost to him.

Legal aid lawyer Dr. Mark Mifsud Cutajar, who was present in the courtroom, was willing to represent the accused in the interest of justice. The accused still denied this request.

Initially, the accused did not request bail.

However, he later re-entered the court room during an ongoing proceeding and asked to be released from police custody, arguing that it was unreasonable to keep him in a prison cell unless proven guilty.

When asked where he would reside if granted bail, he claimed he would live with his mother in an apartment which is reportedly paid for by his grandmother, the same injured party.

The prosecution strongly objected to the bail request, highlighting the accused’s lack of employment and the absence of guarantees that he would meet bail conditions. Furthermore, the court noted that the accused failed to present any witnesses to confirm his claim that his mother had agreed for him to live with her.

The court denied the request for bail.

A protection order has been issued for the grandmother.

Prosecution was led by Inspector Christian Cauchi and Tildon Tabone