Woman's rolling-pin attacker held in custody

A Somali man who appeared before it this afternoon, charged with beating a woman with a rolling pin and assaulting several police officers who had tried to intervene, has been remanded in custody as he was unable to afford bail.

Somali national Abshir Socdaal Cabdiqaadir, appeared in the dock before Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, to face charges which included resisting arrest and causing bodily harm, following an incident at his Zabbar apartment yesterday evening.

Prosecuting police inspector Hubert Cini explained how a number of officers had been dispatched in reaction to a report of a domestic incident yesterday evening. The court was told that officers had found the accused beating a Somali woman with a rolling pin and that the defendant had acted aggressively with regards to the police, slightly injuring one. Cabdiqaadir was also charged with causing damage to public property and causing bodily harm to the woman.

The defendant, who speaks neither Maltese nor English and who had to be assisted by an interpreter throughout the proceedings initially pleaded guilty. However, after the fact that he faced up to two years' imprisonment and a fine were explained to him, Cabdiqaadir quickly retracted this plea and denied the charges.

Legal aid lawyer Joe Ellis requested the prosecution to produce all evidence straight away, however he was told that this could not be done, the inspector explaining that several witnesses were still recovering from their injuries.  

Ellis requested bail for the accused. Magistrate Bugeja postponed the sitting to deliberate on the request, returning some time later granting bail against a deposit of €300. Cabdiqaadir, however had to be remanded as he lacked the necessary funds.