Headmaster recounts school assault

A primary school headmaster yesterday told a magistrate how he was assaulted by a man who insisted he accompany his son into the school premises when parents were only allowed to drop off children at the entrance.

Philip Asciak, who heads the Zabbar state primary school, was testifying before Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona in the compilation of evidence against Felice Delia, 40, of Zabbar.

Mr Delia is pleading not guilty to threatening, assaulting and injuring Mr Asciak and assistant head Michael Gatt at the school on December 9.

Mr Asciak said the incident happened between 8 a.m. and 8.40 a.m. when the kindergarten students were arriving.

That morning, he was walking around the school ensuring that everything was in place for the lessons to start. The assistant head and the doorman were at the entrance according to school procedure. Mr Asciak noticed a commotion at the entrance and, when he arrived there, he saw Mr Delia assaulting the assistant head. He intervened to calm down Mr Delia but, on seeing this, the accused assaulted him and started punching him in the face, pushed him against a wall and head butted him.

Mr Asciak, feeling dizzy, tried to get away and managed to lock himself in a nearby office. He then saw Mr Delia make his way into the school corridor from where he managed to access the office and assaulted him again, Mr Asciak said.

The headmaster testified that he had argued with Mr Delia on about three or four previous occasions as the accused had insisted on escorting his son inside the school. However, Mr Asciak added, he had never filed a report because they had always ironed things out.

Police Inspector Anthony Cassar is prosecuting.