English language student on attempted murder charge

A 16-year-old Russian boy was charged with trying to kill a teenager and a 15-year old boy, both Maltese, by stabbing them with a penknife. The youth pleaded not guilty to stabbing the boy in the groin and the 18-year-old twice in the chest on Monday...

A 16-year-old Russian boy was charged with trying to kill a teenager and a 15-year old boy, both Maltese, by stabbing them with a penknife.

The youth pleaded not guilty to stabbing the boy in the groin and the 18-year-old twice in the chest on Monday at around 4 a.m. in Buġibba.

Police sources said the accused was in the balcony of his hotel room with friends when he started throwing items at a group of Maltese passing by below. A verbal argument ensued and the Russian boy, here studying English, rushed downstairs and stabbed the two Maltese who are in a stable condition.

He pleaded not guilty to being in possession of a penknife without a police licence and breaching the peace.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke remanded him in custody.

Senior Police Inspector Paul Bond prosecuted.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace appeared for the accused.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto appea­red parte civile for the victims.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.