A Palestinian man was remanded in custody in Monday after he was charged in connection with a stabbing that took place in St Paul's Bay on Sunday morning.

Abd Al Salam el Adaw Mahmud, 44, was accused of stabbing  Wagih Yousseff Awad in a shop.

Inspector Godwin Scerri, prosecuting, said Mahud, who has been living in Malta for the past 15 years, had already carried out a similar attack in the past. The victim, who is the shop owner, is still in hospital with grievous injuries. While the man is not in danger of dying, the incident could have had much more serious consequences, the court was told.

CCTV footage shows the suspect approaching the victim, being aggressive towards him and then stabbing him in the stomach, the inspector said.

Mahmud denied the charges and asked for bail, but the request was turned down by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech.