Two men were today charged in court with attempting to pickpocket an elderly British tourist on September 9.

The two men were Jason (John) Azzopardi, 39 from Paola and Natale Bonello, 40 from Marsaskala. They were also charged with two counts of theft in Gozo on July 31 from a vegetable hawker and from Mizzi Hardware, breaking the peace and handling stolen goods. They were also charged with breaching a probation order handed down on June 11 and committing another theft in Valletta on June 11 from JA Vella Households. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Testifying in court, the elderly Welsh woman, Jean Harris, said that she was on a bus on Wednesday 9, along with her Sister and her husband. The bus was packed and she saw an individual calling her over, and she assumed that there was a fee seat. When she arrived towards the back, she said there was no free seat and struggled to find a place to hold on while standing, and had to hold on to something above her head for balance. Her Sister was standing to her left, she said, and Mr Bonello right in front of her. She told the Court that her sister had quickly grabbed her bag and told her to move to the front of the bus, which she did. Her Sister soon followed, Mrs Harris said, and she overheard her sister tell the driver to be careful as there are pickpockets on the bus. She said the driver stopped, called the police and did not allow anyone off until the police arrived.

She told the court that she had a smaller purse containing around €600 inside her larger bag, which didn’t really close.

Her sister, Annette Willetts also gave testimony, and said that while in the back of the bus, she saw Mr Bonello put his hand into her sister’s big bag, went to the driver, noted that the driver had money lying around and warned her. She said that the driver allowed one person off the bus while waiting for the police.

The Court heard that the bus had waited around 20 minutes until the police arrived.

The two British women are on holiday in Malta. The Court heard how the purse never actually left the bag.

The two did not request bail and were remanded in custody.

Inspectors Bernard Charles Spiteri and Jason Francis Sultana prosecuted and lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Marion Camilleri defended the two men. Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras presided.