A 19-year old Ghanaian man was charged with grievous bodily harm after allegedly stabbing his housemate in the head during an argument in Naxxar late last night.

A visibly distraught Nana Agyeman Maxwell was arraigned before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli earlier today, weeping and begging the court for forgiveness as he pled not guilty.

Giving testimony, witness Ognen Gurbach, from Macedonia, said he had been at work dismantling a sound system at the Naxxar church when he heard two men arguing.

The witness said he saw Mr Maxwell carrying a stick in one hand and a knife in the other and intervened to try and calm the situation down. Nevertheless, he said Mr Maxwell attacked the other man, first hitting him with the stick and then striking the right side of his head with the knife, before running off.

The witness said he gave chase while the police were called and eventually apprehended the alleged attacker.

The victim, 34-year old Francis Opoku, testified that he had arrived at the home he shared with the accused but was stopped at the door by another flatmate, who warned that the accused was threatening to harm him, shortly after which the accused emerged with a knife.

Mr Opoku, with fresh stitches visible on a wound on his head, said the two had not had any contact the day before the alleged attack, but that they had been involved in a serious argument three weeks ago, during which Mr Opoku had slapped the accused in the face, and over which the police had been called.

Following a request by the prosecuting officer, Inspector Roderick Spiteri, the court appointed a medical expert, Dr Mario Scerri, to examine the victim’s medical file.

No request for bail was made. The case was adjourned until Tuesday.

Legal aid lawyer Francina Abela appeared for the accused.