Emotional witness tells court how she was bound, punched and kicked in Armier robbery

A highly emotional Romanian woman testified at length in court this afternoon about her traumatic experience when she was the victim of a hold-up in April 2016, at a boathouse in Armier.

Aggressors had covered her mouth in duct tape, and punched and threatened her while demanding money.

Criminal proceedings were instituted against Andrew Mangion, 41, from Swieqi and Adhamjon Nijasov, also known as Kirstjan Zekic, 34, from Mosta. 

They were identified as the two suspects behind the horrific events which took place. The pair are charged with holding persons against their will, aggravated theft, causing grievous injury, slight injury, possession of a stolen air pistol, voluntary damage to third party property, stealing a car and carrying a weapon in public without a license.

The woman told the courts how on 27April 2017, at around 7pm, she was preparing to iron a fresh load of washing at the boat house she and her partner lived in. While locking up the house, she suddenly noticed two or possibly three persons scaling a fence which surrounded the grounds of the boat house. She told presiding magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech that she could not identify the intruders, who had their faces covered with scarves.

Upon seeing them, she tried to rush back inside to safety, but was dragged, punched and thrown to the ground. Her aggressors then proceeded to cover her face and neck with tape, making it very difficult to breathe.

Struggling to speak, the woman told the court about the fear that had come over her.

The woman spoke of remaining glued to the ground, while hearing the intruders rummage aggressively through the house. Eventually, she said, they returned and began demanding "the money".

She said they began demanding to know where the money was otherwise she would "die". The courts heard how she claimed to know nothing about any money.

Throughout the terrible events, the phone rang. Her aggressors allegedly placed the mobile close to her and ordered her to speak normally. She said that it was her partner calling to inform her that he would be home shortly.

The aggressors then allegedly told her not to worry, to remain silent and that they would be letting her out of the ordeal alive. Sometime later she heard her partner arrive, followed by sounds of physical aggression.

She told the court that a while after the aggressors left the scene, she was too scared to remove her blindfold and tape. Eventually working up the courage to do so, she removed everything and observed how badly the house had been rummaged.

She described finding her partner crouched down into the foetal position on the floor, his face badly injured.

Looking at the accused, she told the court that she did not recognise them.

Inspector Keith Arnaut prosecuted while the case continues in December.

from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2iM1i4C
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