A 43-year-old man was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to seriously injuring St Paul’s Bay resident Anaclet Kumbi.

Said Bouslama, 43, who has been living in Malta since 1993 also pleaded not guilty to holding Mr Cumbi against his will, using a knife during the commission of a crime and carrying the knife without a license, and breaching a suspended jail term handed down in 2007. He also pleaded not guilty to complicity,

The incident took place on December 2, at around 5 p.m.

In submissions for bail, defence lawyer Gianella Caruana Curran told the court that this had been a rather difficult time for her client as a young son of his died in a fire just a year-and-a-half ago and that he did not know the victim or the victim him. So there was no fear that he would tamper with evidence.

But Police Inspector Anthony Portelli told the Court that the victim had 12 sutures on the face and ear and the charges were serious.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman denied bail.