French sailors unable to recognise attackers

Crew members who served on a French navy vessel told the police a sailor was annoying people by hugging them at a Paceville entertainment spot but bouncers got to him before they could stop him themselves, the court heard yesterday.

Inspector Martin Sammut was testifying before Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima in the compilation of evidence against John Fiteni, 34, from Marsa, his brother Martin, 39, from Swieqi, Tony Zampa, 37, from Valletta and Frank Calleja, 32, from Mgarr, who work as bouncers at the Footloose Bar and who stand charged with seriously injuring 21-year-old French sailor Theophile Hoata on April 20.

Hoata formed part of the crew of the French ship Jeanne D`Arc, which was in Malta on a five-day visit.

Insp. Sammut said the sailors told him they saw Hoata fall and bouncers surrounding him and kicking him. However, they could not recognise who was kicking him. Hoata was then taken out and was repeatedly kicked again.

The four bouncers charged denied having beaten up the sailor, the witness said in court.

Insp. Sammut testified he had spoken to the owners of Footloose who informed him the bouncers had told them it was not true they had beaten up the sailor. They claimed the sailor was drunk and fell down the stairs on the way out of the bar.

Insp. Sammut said the owners of Footloose were not at the bar when the incident happened.

He testified that in the early hours of April 20 he was informed that a French person had been taken to the hospital`s emergency department and was in danger of dying. He was told the person had been admitted after a Paceville fight involving some bouncers.

The witness went to hospital but the victim could not talk to the police. He then went to the St Julian`s police station where he learnt that four bouncers had already been arrested and later went to the Footloose Bar which had, in the meantime, been closed and cordoned off.

Insp. Sammut said there was blood on the steps leading up to one of the establishment`s doors. He also noticed some blood-stained tissues and a pair of broken glasses. The inspector said he spoke to three crew members who were present during the incident.

They said that although they did not know the sailor well they had recognised him as being one of the men on board their ship. They said they had seen him annoying some of the clients by hugging them.

They said they tried to draw the sailor`s attention in order to stop what he was doing but the bouncers got to him first. They said they saw him fall. The bouncers surrounded him and started kicking him, the crew members told the witness, adding they were unable to recognise those who were kicking him.

The inspector said he later spoke to the victim when his condition improved. Hoata told him he had been at a cocktail party on board the ship and then went to Paceville with some of his friends. They went to the bar opposite the Empire Club, in Paceville and they had some whisky and shared a bottle of vodka between three people.

"Hoata did not know exactly how much they had drunk but he said they were filling each other`s glasses as soon as they were emptied," the inspector said.

The victim told the officer they had bought another bottle which, however, they did not consume. The bottle had, in fact, been found in the bar where the incident allegedly happened and only a part of its content had been consumed.

Insp. Sammut said Hoata remembered that he went to dance on his own but could not remember anything else until he woke up in hospital.

He said he could not remember anything of what happened in between although he realised he did not have any injuries before he entered the bar.

Hoata told the police he did not know whether he had molested any Maltese nationals and did not know either whether the bouncers had approached him.

Two police officers testified they had spoken to three crew members who had been with the victim at the time of the incident.

They testified that the sailors said they saw bouncers take the victim outside the establishment and as soon as they were outside they threw Hoata on the ground and started kicking him. They said they went to cover him to try and protect him but were unable to recognise the men.

The case continues.

Police inspector Martin Sammut prosecuted.

Dr Martin Fenech appeared for the defendants.