Robber targeting elderly women remanded in custody

One of his victims was 68-year-old Carmen Baldacchino, in Malta on holiday from Australia

A 48-year-old Cospicua resident, already on bail on theft-related charges, was remanded in custody with this afternoon after he was charged with three robberies from elderly ladies. 


Simon Camilleri was arraigned before Magistrate Anthony Vella, charged with three counts of theft aggravated by violence and value


One of his victims, 68-year-old Carmen Baldacchino, who was on holiday from Australia, testified during the sitting.

She told the court how she had been walking near her niece’s home in Siggiewi at 11.30am on the 7 June when an assailant grabbed her thick gold necklace – a gift from her mother which she had received aged 15 - from behind.

“The necklace was going to choke me, and caused my blouse to be torn. Then the necklace broke and he ran away,” said Baldacchino. She estimated the chain to be worth around €5,000.

Asked by prosecuting inspector Joseph Mercieca what happened next, she said “he ran away. I took a couple of paces towards him but then he leapt into the passenger seat of a dark green car, which was there with its engine running, and the driver sped off.”

The court was told that the car was not, in fact, green but it had appeared so due to the tint of her sunglasses, which she attempted to show the court. Shown a photograph of the accused’s vehicle she said: “This is it. 100%.”

The elderly lady had suffered bruising to her neck, she said and produced her torn blouse from a bag. Legal aid lawyer Abigail Bugeja objected to the victim producing it as evidence, saying that she could have torn it herself. Magistrate Anthony Vella asked if there was going to be a request for damages related to the shirt or whether there were going to be forensic studies to be carried out on it. The prosecution replied in the negative and the court declined to accept the shirt as evidence.

Bugeja asked the witness to tell the court what time she had made her report at the police station. “I went back home to recover then I walked to the Siggiewi police station, which was closed. There was a political club nearby who helped me as I could barely walk. They called the Zebbug police station and I was transported there to make the report.”

Asked if she could describe the man who robbed her, she said that she could not describe her assailant as he had attacked her from behind “all I saw was his head.” The victim could not identify the model of the getaway car or its number plate as she saw it from a side angle.

Bugeja asked her where she had obtained the valuation of the necklace. The victim replied that she arrived at the figure “because it was heavy and old” and not because she had taken it to be valued. “What I know is that it is heavy and that he couldn’t get it to break as he nearly choked me with it.”

The magistrate asked the witness if she had any photographs of the necklace – “maybe in Australia,” she replied and was instructed to email any she found to the prosecution.

Bugeja pleaded not guilty and requested bail, which the prosecution opposed, pointing out that he was a seasoned criminal and that the crime had been committed whilst he was on bail for another charge. “He isn’t a teenager, he’s almost 50 years old. He has several previous convictions and there are several witnesses to testify – two victims and an eyewitness.”

Bail was denied, to the evident displeasure of the accused, who had watched proceedings with a detached interest up to this point. The court will continue to hear evidence next week.