John Cassar was charged with murdering his mother and attempting to murder his father in Mqabba, and will remain in custody after pleading not guilty.

The 47-year-old appeared before Magistrate Nadia Vella on Saturday afternoon, wearing a black shirt and tracksuit trousers. He kept his head bowed and his eyes closed for much of the hearing, at times breathing heavily.

Asked whether he understood the charges, he replied "yes", before entering a plea of not guilty.

The prosecution told the court that police were alerted on Thursday afternoon after receiving information that a man, Ġanni Cassar, had been attacked by his son with a screwdriver, sustaining a wound to the chest.

Officers arriving at the scene found Ġanni injured and his wife, Mary Grace Cassar, dead. She was identified as the accused's mother.

The inspector testifying in court said Ġanni had initially been in danger of death, but his condition had since improved and he was no longer in a critical state.

The court also heard details of video calls between the accused and the inspector before his arrest. During the first call, Cassar claimed he had a gun and drugs. In a subsequent call, he appeared agitated and was heating a substance on a piece of foil.

According to the inspector, Cassar said he could "tell him everything" because he had killed his mother and father, before recounting what he had been through.

He eventually surrendered to police at around 4.36pm and was arrested.

During police interrogation, Cassar refused legal assistance. The court was informed that a psychiatrist had confirmed he was fit to be questioned and brought before the court.

A protection order was issued in favour of several people, including his father, Ġanni Cassar. 

The case has attracted additional attention because the accused is the brother of Roderick Cassar, who was found guilty in 2022 of murdering his estranged wife, Bernice Cilia.