Two men allegedly involved in a violent mugging last Sunday afternoon were remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to the charges upon their arraignment on Tuesday.

Addie Magri, 47, and Jurgen Vassallo, 21, both unemployed, from Cospicua, were jointly charged with the violent theft as well as with having slightly injured the victim of the alleged attack.

Mr Vassallo was also separately charged with breaching a probation order handed down a year ago by a Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecuting Inspector Eman Hayman explained how a 63-year-old Cospicua man had been going about his business at his hometown at around 4pm on Sunday, when he was allegedly pounced upon by two men.

He was beaten and robbed out on the street, with the two muggers making off with his money and mobile phone. The victim filed a report at the local police station, describing his suspect aggressors as “the son of…” and the “husband of….”, both familiar faces to the man.

As a result of the incident, the victim suffered slight injuries and needed treatment in hospital.

Meanwhile, the police received an anonymous phone call from a person claiming to have been an eyewitness to the mugging perpetrated by the two suspects.

When the men were later rounded up and taken for police questioning, the younger of the two admitted, stating however that his role had merely been one of assistance, while his older partner in crime had allegedly beaten up the victim.

During Tuesday’s arraignment, both pleaded not guilty, with legal aid counsel Christopher Chircop bringing to the notice of the court the particular situation of the younger man who had character problems, as attested by a probation officer who was asked to report on her ward during the arraignment.

In fact, the officer confirmed that the young man had intellectual difficulties, although he seemed to have been showing signs of progress lately, keeping regularly to his appointments.

A request for bail was turned down by the court in view of the premature stage of the proceedings and the fact that the alleged victim was still to testify.

Upon a request by the defence, the court, presided over by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, recommended that the younger man be detained at the Forensic Unit, in view of his particular predicament.

As the hearing reached an end, the elder of the accused was led out of the courtroom, while the younger man wept inconsolably.