A young Romanian woman today recounted her terrible ordeal one evening at Armier when she suddenly found herself gagged with duct tape, kicked and threatened by her aggressors who demanded money.
This testimony was delivered in the course of criminal proceedings against Andrew Mangion, 41, from Swieqi and Adhamjon Niyasov, also known as Kristjan Zekic, 34, from Mosta, who are the two suspects behind this violent incident.
Visibly still shaken and taking occasional deep breaths, the woman recalled how on the evening of April 27, 2016 close to 7pm, she was just about to start ironing, at the boathouse she shared with her former partner.
She had just closed one of the residence’s iron doors leading to the living room, when she caught sight of two or three persons, faces hidden behind scarves, scaling a fence which surrounded the boathouse yard.
The solitary occupant tried to rush back inside to safety only to be roughly caught by the aggressors, who dragged and punched her, threw her onto the floor and covered her face and neck with tape, so that she could barely breathe
Scared by the sudden appearance of the intruders, the solitary occupant tried to rush back inside to safety only to be roughly caught by the aggressors, who dragged and punched her, threw her onto the floor and covered her face and neck with tape, so that she could barely breathe.
“I got very scared. Anyone would get scared,” the woman declared, visibly making an effort to speak about her horrific ordeal.
Lying there on the floor, the victim could not see what was going on but could make out the footsteps of her aggressors as they searched through the boathouse, moving furniture and occasionally returning to the woman demanding that she handed them over the money.
“Tell us where the money is because you are going to die,” was the repeated threat, with the victim saying she knew nothing about any money and that she had nothing to give.
At one point, the phone rang indicating that it was her partner who was calling. The intruders allegedly placed the mobile close to the woman and ordered her to take the call but without giving anything away.
Her partner simply told her that he would be home shortly and rang off.
Still lying on the floor blindfolded, the woman was told: “Don’t worry. Stay quiet. We’re going to let you live.”
Shortly after, she heard her partner arrive, followed by the sound of physical aggression.
Long after the intruders had taken their leave, the woman remained glued to the spot, too scared to move, not even attempting to remove the tape around her face.
Finally, summing up the courage to do so, she found herself in the bedroom with the place a complete mess.
Noticing that her partner’s car was not there, she searched and found him inside the bathroom, crouched in a foetal position on the floor, his face badly injured.
Rushing outside, she banged on neighbours’ doors, pleading for help.
Before stepping off the witness stand, the victim told the court, presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, that she recognised no-one in court.
The two suspects are charged with aggravated theft, as well as with having held the boathouse occupants against their will, besides grievously injuring one of the victims while inflicting slight injuries upon the other.
Other charges relate to the possession of a stolen air pistol, carrying a weapon in public without a licence, voluntary damage to third party property and stealing a car belonging to the victims.
The case continues in December.
Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted.