Man due in court after couple violently assaulted in Gozo

A man has been arrested after a British couple were violently assaulted in one of Gozo’s most picturesque villages.

They suffered the shocking ordeal as they walked home to their flat in Xaghra early on Sunday morning.

The attacker is reported to have thrown stones at the couple and wrestled the woman to the ground before repeatedly banging her head against a car door.

He then ran off after stealing her jewellery.

Police said the emergency services were alerted at around 4am.

A Gozo police spokesman told 89.7 Bay: ‘The 55-year-old woman sustained grievous injuries while her 58-year-old husband’s injuries were slight.

‘An ambulance was called and it took the woman to Gozo General Hospital.’

A 29-year-old man was later arrested by police.

He is expected to appear in court in Victoria on Monday morning charged with assault and robbery.

Gozo residents took to social media to express their shock at news of the sickening attack.

One posted on Facebook: ‘Long gone are the days when Gozo was a safe community and everyone left their keys in the door.’

Another added: ‘Not safe to walk the streets of Gozo?! What the hell has the world come to?’

A third posted: ‘It was a serious crime but let’s not over exaggerate, it’s not that things like this are happening every day, it’s a one off case.’

Xaghra is one of the most popular villages in Gozo for British expats.

The crime rate in Xaghra was one of the lowest in the Maltese Islands last year.