Drunk man broke down house door and robbed elderly resident, court told

A man who allegedly broke down the front door of a Sliema residence, robbing its elderly occupant at knifepoint, was granted bail on Wednesday after pleading not guilty upon his arraignment.

Jassem Al Taher, a 36-year old Libyan national residing at Pembroke, was accused of having damaged the woman’s front door, threatened her with a knife, driven under the influence of drink as well as being drunk in public.

A request for bail was strongly objected to by prosecuting officer Inspector Bernardette Valletta who pointed out that the alleged victim’s daughter knew the accused, thereby giving rise to the possibility of tampering with evidence.

However, this argument was countered by defence lawyer Joseph Bonnici who claimed that such a hypothetical statement fell below the degree of proof required in criminal proceedings.

Moreover, the court could impose strict bail conditions, the lawyer continued.

Magistrate Monica Vella, upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €2000, a personal guarantee of €5000 and a strict order not to lay foot in Sliema.

Upon being asked for a period of ten days within which to effect payment, the magistrate promptly replied, “Yes, but you’ll be spending them in prison.”