A former Royal Marines cadet yesterday described how two men beat him with a metal rod and a wooden bar in a robbery attempt as he waited for a bus.

Justin Aquilina, 18, from Marsa, said he was at the Valletta bus terminus on October 2 at about 11pm when he saw a man staring at him.

This turned out to be Ahmed Abdalla Yakoup, 26, from Palestine, who began hitting him with a metal rod. He was joined by 34-year-old Omar Osman, from Somalia, who struck him with a piece of wood.

Mr Aquilina said he was covered in blood as a Libyan man, Essalami Hasheem, tried to stop the attackers, but he was injured too when they turned on him.

After the two attackers left, Mr Aquilina phoned the police. On their way to the Floriana polyclinic, they saw the other victim on the ground and went to his assistance. At the clinic, Mr Aquilina said he saw Mr Osman and pointed him out to the police. Mr Aquilina was taken to hospital because of an eye injury. He said he spent two days in hospital and would have to have periodic tests on his eye.

The accused plead not guilty to trying to rob Mr Aquilina and robbing Mr Hasheem.

Magistrate Edwina Grima ruled there was enough evidence to have the men placed under a bill of indictment.

The case continues.