The homeless Malian man charged with the attempted murder of three policemen was not mentally stable at the time of the crime, Magistrate Edwina Grima ruled this morning.

Souleymane Samake, 26, was shot by the police as he allegedly ran at them with a knife. The case against him has been withdrawn as the magistrate ordered that he is kept at Mount Carmel Hospital for full treatment.

On March 30, the police had received reports about someone living in a cave and on investigating they found the accused near the caves of Għar Ħasan, in the limits of Birżebbuġa.

The police reported that he charged towards them but pepper spray had little effect and one officer fired two warning shots. When even this failed to deter him, four more shots were fired and two hit the accused in the thigh and stomach.