Alfred Felice, 21 of Qormi, was given an eight-month jail term suspended for three years after being found guilty of stabbing and slightly injuring Jason Vella on January 31.

The court heard the victim's wife, Dorianne, testify that on the day in question, she heard the doorbell ring and someone banging on their door at 5.15 a.m. She said her husband Jason told her not to worry and she went back to her room. But then she heard a lot of shouting and went downstairs and she saw the accused with a knife in his hand.

Mrs Vella said she heard the accused hurling abuse at her husband. She then saw him grabbing him and bashing him against the neighbour's door, trying to stab him. She tried to grab a knife but did not succeed. The accused then threw her husband to the ground and started stabbing him.

She said her husband managed to escape and told her to call the police. The accused first tried to chase him but then fled in his car. She said her husband had stab wounds in his back and scars in his neck and leg. Inspector Maria Stella Attard testified that she had spoken to the victim who told her the accused had gone to Mr Vella's baker's shop in Qormi where there was an argument over what had been said on the TV programme Xarabank about gambling.

Insp. Attard said she had also taken a statement from the accused, who gave a completely different version of events leading up to the incident. He claimed he was driving behind Mr Vella along Victory Street when the latter stopped, got out of the car and brandished a knife and a metre long truncheon.

He could not carry on driving as Mr Vella was blocking the road so he too got out and tried to take the knife from his hands but Mr Vella stabbed him in his belly.

The court said it had to reach its judgement by deciding which of the witnesses were credible. From the evidence given in court, it was evident that the accused had tried to get his own back after what was said on the TV programme and that the testimony of the victim and his wife was consistent throughout.

In passing judgement, the court also noted that the accused had three previous convictions.