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MW 7 December 2016

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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2016 News GourmetToday every Saturday 16.05pm on TVM Man denies injuring robbery victim, claims bizarre bad luck MAT THEW AGIUS A man has denied accusations that he attempted to rob an el- derly man, grievously injuring him, after having given him a lift home. Inspector Chantel Casha ac- cused the 31 year-old Zebbug resident before Magistrate Nev- ille Camilleri, of causing griev- ous injuries to the elderly man at a farm in Marsa, attacking and threatening him, and the aggravated theft of an undis- closed amount of money on No- vember 20. He is insisting that he had been drinking at a bar in Marsa when the alleged victim had asked him for a lift. He had told police that he had obliged and dropped the man off at the Marsa traffic lights. The accused 's girlfriend had been driving. The old man, however reported him to the police, claiming the accused had bur- glarized his home. After his arrest, the accused had told police officers that after returning home he had taken some drugs and, while still under the effect of the il- licit substances, had decided to check out a nearby field to "find something to take". There, he claimed to have been detained by two Syrian men, who believing that he had been stealing from them, had proceeded to give the man the beating of a lifetime. The gang had decided to release him af- ter finding pictures of the ac- cused 's young son on his mobile phone, but had held on to the device, he explained. He was warned never to try and enter the Syrian's property again as the owner "was prepared to kill him." Evidently having undergone a change of heart, the Syrians had then used the phone to contact the man's mother and later, his girlfriend, to arrange the hand- ing over of the device. The ac- cused had gone to pick it up, accompanied by his girlfriend. The Syrian had apologised for what happened and returned the man's mobile phone. The man's girlfriend had transported him to the Paola polyclinic where, he said, he had been prescribed anti-in- f lammatory drugs for his inju- ries. After being discharged, he had voluntarily checked himself in at Mount Carmel hospital. The accused, who has a drug problem, was also charged with trespassing. Law yers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili, appearing for the accused, told the court that he would be pleading not guilty to the charges. Bail was not requested. The court recommended that the accused be held at the Forensic Unit of Mount Carmel Hospital to receive treatment for drug addiction. Former MFA coach Bob Higgins implicated in football abuse scandal MATTHEW VELLA A former Malta Football Asso- ciation coach is the latest football coach to be implicated in the sex abuse scandal tarnishing English football, after the BBC has report- ed that in 1997 more letters were sent to clubs warning them about Bob Higgins. Higgins was employed with the MFA between 1992 and 1994, af- ter having been cleared of sexual abuse charges in the UK, before his five-year contract was re- scinded by then MFA president George Abela over new investiga- tions of sexual abuse against him in England. Higgins had already resigned prior to the removal of his contract. It turns out that the UK Foot- ball League had issued a warning to clubs about Bob Higgins, the former Southampton youth coach named in connection with allega- tions of historical sexual abuse of children, as long ago as 1989, the Guardian reported. Dated 27 April, 1989 and ad- dressed to "the managers of all clubs", it read: "I understand that you may recently have received a letter from Mr Bob Higgins, invit- ing your club to become involved with the above organisation [BH- SA]. "The Football Association, Foot- ball League and English Schools' Football Association are opposed to this organisation and I would ask all clubs which might be thinking of becoming involved to give this office the opportunity of appraising them of the situation before taking any steps in this di- rection." Higgins worked with young- sters at Southampton, who are re- nowned for their youth system, in the 1980s, leaving in April 1989 – the same month as the letter was sent. In 1992 he faced charges of sexual offences against boys but was cleared on the direction of a judge. At least 18 police forces across Britain are investigating allega- tions made by 350 alleged victims. The NSPCC said it had received and was processing almost 1,000 reports to a hotline. Chelsea launched their own in- quiry after the former player Gary Johnson revealed he had signed a confidentiality agreement with the club in 2015 in return for £50,000 after he alleged he was abused by the club's then chief scout, Eddie Heath, in the 1970s. Higgins joined Peterborough as a youth coach in the mid-90s and later worked as the manager of Bashley FC in Hampshire until he was sacked in 2001. After leav- ing Bashley, Higgins went on to manage Winchester City briefly and was recently working for the Hampshire club Fleet Town FC on what has been described as an "informal unpaid basis" but has now left. Over the weekend the BBC said it had spoken to six players who had named Higgins to police. The Hampshire force is understood to be investigating but has refused to confirm this. In 1997 the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary inves- tigated Higgins. It reported that after the court case he became a born again Christian and that he baptised players in his bath at home. Bob Higgins - six players say they have named him to police

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