An elderly woman who was the victim of an attempted robbery identified one of her alleged attackers on four occasions, jurors heard yesterday.

The woman was 81 years old when three men barged in on her in 2006 but fled empty-handed.

The case happened in the afternoon of June 27, when three men, allegedly including the accused, Jonathan Felice, broke into Dolores Debono’s home to rob her.

Mr Felice stands charged with breaking into her house and with grievously injuring the woman, who suffered fractures to her toes.

He was 17 years old at the time of the crime, legally a minor, but Mr Justice Michael Mallia yesterday allowed his name to be published, as he is now 25.

As his trial by jury entered its final phase, Mr Felice opted to testify and tell jurors that he was not in the house during the robbery. He said the woman would not have had any problem recognising him: he played in her street when he was younger, so she knew him well.

This version of events, however, was shot down by the prosecuting lawyers from the Attorney General’s office, who said the victim had actually recognised the accused on four occasions.

These were twice during two separate identification parades, once through photographs shown to her by the police and another time in court when she testified in his compilation of evidence.

The case continues today.

Lawyers Giannella Busuttil and Nadia Attard are prosecuting on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office, while lawyer Leslie Cuschieri is defending the accused.