Man seriously injured in garage assault

A 34-year old man is recovering in hospital after he was viciously attacked in his garage at Pembroke early yesterday morning.

Anthony Vella, who hails from Mosta but resides in Triq l-Isqof Anglu Portelli, Pembroke, was found bleeding in his residence's underlying garage.

Police sources said the attack happened at about 7 a.m. when an individual confronted Mr Vella in his garage. Mr Vella was grazed in the stomach and was knocked on the head with a heavy bar.

The assault may be the result of a family quarrel.

Mr Vella was found squirming in pain in the garage by his wife, who had just received a telephone call from a relative asking whether her husband had left home. Mrs Vella went to the garage to see her husband's body half-sprawled under a car.

Police sources said the car tyres had been slashed and a window leading to the garage was discovered open. The garage door was however closed.

The sources said the victim saw his aggressor before falling to the ground.

He was rushed to hospital in an ambulance where he was initially found to be in critical condition. However, his condition improved later in the day.

The police are interrogating a number of people in connection with the case.

Assistant Police Commissioner Manuel Cassar is investigating the incident.

The case echoes the murder of a 46-year-old Gozitan lawyer last month, who was shot in the head after he was ambushed, assaulted and dragged bleeding to a garage underneath his home by a hooded man who had been lying in wait outside his Marsalforn home.