The two, who names cannot be published due to a court order, are a youth of 19 and a 15-year-old boy. They were accused in court of trying to steal a boat belonging to John Gauci from Ghadira, Mellieha. They were also charged with receiving stolen goods.

The elder of the two was additionally accused of escaping from Hal Far detention centre and assaulting police officers, with slightly injuring a police constable and damaging the officer’s spectacles and with disobeying police orders on 14 August in Valletta.

Both pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Inspector Therese Sciberras prosecuted and the court was presided over by Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna.