No bail for woman accused of Gzira mugging

A young woman has been remanded in custody after she was charged in connection with the mugging of a woman at knifepoint, last May.

24-year-old Miriam Elabed appeared before magistrate Neville Camilleri this morning, accused of robbing the victim of her handbag in Gzira during the early hours of 14 May this year. Sources explained to MaltaToday that the police investigation had zeroed in on the woman after she had used credit cards which had been inside the stolen handbag.

Elabed was charged with theft, aggravated by violence and the time at which the crime had been committed.

The mugging is understood to have taken place after the victim had chanced upon Elabed, who had been trying to break into a parked car. As a result, she was also accused of attempted theft, criminal damage and carrying a weapon during the commission of a crime. Further charges of receiving stolen goods, relapsing and breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence were also issued.

Elabed pleaded not guilty to the charges and her lawyers, Michael Sciriha, Christopher Chircop and Lucio Sciriha requested bail.

Inspector Carlos Cordina, prosecuting together with inspector Lara Butters, objected to the request. Her residential address was not clear, she had a criminal record and there were witnesses who were yet to be summoned.

Lawyer Michael Sciriha explained that the accused lived with her mother and that the address in the police file was an old one. The defendant had a medical condition that needed continuous medical attention, he said.

The accused had made several attempts to rehabilitate herself, the lawyer argued. “There was a period where the accused had been well behaved. Now this incident has cropped up and we must see exactly what happened.”

Her criminal record would become relevant at a later stage, Sciriha submitted, pointing out that in other jurisdictions it was periodically cleansed after a number of years of good behaviour.

The court, however, in view of the circumstances and the nature of the charges, in particular those of recidivism and breaching of a suspended sentence, denied bail, saying it was not satisfied that the woman would abide by the conditions imposed by the court if granted bail.

Defence asked that she be held at the Forensic Unit as there were medical facilities there. “She has a basic daily need of nursing care,” Sciriha submitted. The court upheld the request and recommended the prison authorities continue to detain her at the Forensic Unit.