Popa, in slippers and ‘pajamas’, taken from hospital to court and described as having “stabbed himself”
Gheorghe Popa, 39, was arraigned in court today wearing the slippers and ‘pajamas’ (old T-shirt and tracksuit pants) that he wore in hospital, the police having arrested him there as he was discharged and taken him straight to Valletta. He was charged with a long list of offences related to the night of the brawl at the home he shared with Yana Mintoff, two weeks ago, the main one among them that of having caused slight injuries to Ms Mintoff and to her son Daniel Mainwaring.
Mintoff and Mainwaring will not be charged because a general consensus seems to have been reached that Popa stabbed himself either before or after setting fire to the house and either before or after taking a decision to climb a tree, the latter version of which would have necessitated holding the large kitchen knife between his teeth to leave both hands free for climbing to a suitable branch on which to sit and stab himself in the abdomen.
Popa is now being held on remand.
