Failed hold-up suspect accused of breaching bail conditions

Darrin Debono, It-Topo, appeared in court accused of having breached bail only 24 hours after pleading guilty to take part in a failed hold-up on an Attard jeweller.

Mr Debono pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to breaching bail conditions on December 3 at 8.15 p.m. in Attard.

The day before, he admitted to the attempted theft of about €3,500 from jeweller Michael Mizzi and to slightly injuring him when he hit him with a wheel brace.

Mr Debono, sitting on a wheelchair, wore a sports tracksuit during his arraignment before Magistrate Antonio Mizzi on Wednesday. He was seriously injured in his leg during the botched hold-up after Mr Mizzi’s son, Silvio, fired a sawn-off shotgun he wrestled off the assailants. He has been in hospital for the past month and received several skin grafts to his leg.

Police Inspector Anthony Portelli, prosecuting, said Mr Debono should have been at home by 8 p.m. as established in the bail conditions imposed by another court when he was charged with the involvement in the failed Qormi HSBC hold-up in June. The officer noted the attempted theft in Attard took place at 8.15 p.m.

Mr Debono was involved in a serious crime and he was not doing something trivial when he was caught outside his curfew. “He was not late because he had a puncture or because he missed the bus,” Mr Portelli said.