A court has heard a horrific case of attempted murder, where a mother tried to garrote her nine-year-old daughter with a shoelace at the Hal Far Open Centre.

Jordanos Gabrhiwet, 30, from Eritrea, a resident at the Hal Far Open Centre who works as a cleaner was charged with attempted murder and causing slight bodily harm to her daughter.

Senior Police Inspector Trevor Micallef told magistrate Simone Grech that the police were informed yesterday that Open Centre Staff had intervened as the accused was trying to garrotte her daughter with a shoelace. The victim, who is just 9 years old, survived the murder attempt with slight injuries.

Lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar, appointed as legal aid to the accused, entered a not guilty plea to the charges.

He informed the court that no request for bail would be made at this stage.

The daughter is understood to have been taken into foster care.