Three brothers were remanded in custody today after after pleading not guilty to trying to kill a Libyan man by allegedly stabbing him seven times.

The incident happened last Monday in Vittoriosa.

Francis Bugeja 22, Kevin, 19 and their brother, 17 denied trying to kill Khaled Mohamed Baara and carrying a weapon. The youngest of the three also denied, driving an Isuzu Gemini without a licence and breaching the conditions of a previous release.

The court was told that an argument between the victim and the accused happened around two months ago and on Monday the three accused allegedly went to the Libyan's house to try and come to a compromise. An explosive argument developed and the Libyan suffered a punctured lung and seven stab wounds.

After taking into consideration the seriousness of the crime Magistrate Edwina Grima remanded the three in custody.

After the court’s decision the accused’s mother was heard screaming and shouting before collapsing onto the floor while she desperately held onto one her son’s necks. She was then carried out of the building by another of her sons.