Suspect Remanded in Custody Over Fatal Spinola Gardens Stabbing
In brief
- A 27-year-old Polish national pleaded not guilty to the murder of Abdellatif Oumakhlouf in St Julian's.
- The court denied bail and remanded the accused in custody following the deadly Spinola Gardens attack.
- Authorities revealed the suspect was already wanted in Poland in connection with an alleged assault offence.
A 27-year-old Polish national has been remanded in preventative custody after being formally charged with murder in connection with a fatal altercation in St Julian's.
Sebastian Malinowski appeared before the duty magistrate on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to the wilful homicide of 31-year-old Moroccan national Abdellatif Oumakhlouf.
The violent incident occurred at Spinola Gardens, where emergency responders found the victim with catastrophic stab wounds before he succumbed to his injuries.
Defence counsel did not make an immediate request for bail, leading the court to order that Malinowski be held in custody at the Corradino Correctional Facility.
It emerged during the proceedings that the accused, who had arrived in Malta as a tourist, was already subject to an active arrest warrant in Poland for a prior bodily harm offence.
Police investigators gathered CCTV footage and physical evidence from the public garden and surrounding streets prior to tracking down and arresting the suspect.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets reported the arraignment and plea consistently, with Lovin Malta providing additional background regarding Polish arrest warrants.