Three fined over fight with relatives

A couple and their son were yesterday fined Lm150 each for assaulting and slightly injuring their neighbours, who are relatives.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera found Joseph Galea, 68, his wife Antonia, 59, and their 29-year-old son Christopher guilty of threatening, assaulting and injuring Mrs Galea's sister Domenica Mamo and her four children Joseph, Charlie, Ron and Evelyn Mamo.

They were also found guilty of uttering obscene words in public and breaching the peace. The magistrate heard how on November 5, 2001, the police were informed that there had been a fight between two Mosta families.

The Mamos and the Galeas lived next door to each other and their houses were only separated by a pathway.

The argument broke out when Christopher Galea was reversing his speed boat mounted on a trailer up the path and into the garage. The Mamo family walked outside into the path and insisted he had hit their wall with the boat and displaced some stones. A fight broke out during which members of both families were injured.

On evaluating the evidence, the magistrate found the Galeas guilty as charged and fined them Lm150 each. She also bound them not to approach the Mamos for a year against a Lm100 fine in default.

Police Inspector Jeffrey Azzopardi prosecuted.