Man cleared of causing serious injury in fracas at bar

A 42-year-old man was yesterday acquitted of seriously injuring a man after an argument in a bar but was found guilty of driving dangerously and fined €200 (Lm85.83).

The court, presided over by Magistrate Edwina Grima, heard how Lawrence Azzopardi was originally charged with seriously injuring Manuel Abela last April 15, at 7 p.m., causing €326.20 (Lm140) in damage to Conquest Bar in Senglea, driving negligently and under the influence of alcohol, threatening and insulting Mr Abela, and relapsing.

The court was told that Mr Azzopardi had been at the bar when his girlfriend got up and went to the bathroom. On leaving the bathroom, she was harassed by another man who also grabbed her by the arm.

Mr Azzopardi went to assist his girlfriend and ended up in a fight with the man. When Mr Azzopardi and his girlfriend got into their car to leave the bar, patrons who were sitting outside the bar started throwing tables and chairs at the car. However, in his testimony, Mr Abela had said that Mr Azzopardi had turned his car around and drove at the tables and chairs. One of the tables hit Mr Abela and when he fell to the ground, he sustained injuries to his hand caused by broken glass.

Handing down judgment, Magistrate Grima ruled that there was no evidence to suggest that Mr Azzopardi's car had caused the table to hit Mr Abela because the patrons sitting outside of the bar were also throwing tables and chairs at the car.

As regards the value of the objects broken or hit by the car, the owner of the bar, Frank Ahar did not give a specific value of the items and so Mr Azzopardi could not be found guilty of the second charge. The court also said that Mr Azzopardi could not be found guilty of drink driving because no breathalyser test was produced as evidence.

Magistrate Grima said that Mr Azzopardi could only be found guilty of negligent driving. Apart for the €200 fine, she also disqualified him from driving for three months.

Police Inspector Alexander Grech prosecuted.

Lawyers José Herrera and Veronique Dalli appeared for Mr Azzopardi.