Bouncer to be charged with causing serious injury

A nightclub bouncer is to face charges of seriously injuring a 25-year-old man who had his jaw kicked in two weekends ago.

Sources close to the investigation confirmed the police were in the process of filing the charges in court.

Rene Brincat, 25, alleges the incident happened at around 2.30 a.m. on August 15 at Gianpula nightclub in the limits of Rabat. He was there with two friends.

He claims a bouncer falsely accused him of urinating against a wall and an argument followed. He was set upon and a bouncer fractured his jaw in a blow with the knee, he alleges.

He said his friends took him to Mater Dei Hospital covered in blood.

According to the hospital report, issued by the emergency department and seen by The Times, Mr Brincat had bruises and swelling on both sides of the temple and other parts of his body, including his legs, as well as a fractured jawbone. The injuries were classified as grievous.

Mr Brincat said doctors placed a metal frame to keep his jawbone in place until he underwent an operation to have a metal plate implanted. For now, he cannot eat anything unless the food is mashed and he cannot have hot or cold drinks.

He insisted he was not drunk when the incident took place and he had only drunk five beers. According to Mr Brincat, the incident happened so fast he did not even have time to retaliate.

The sources said the part-time bouncer, who is an AFM soldier, will be charged with grievous bodily harm and committing a crime he was duty bound to prevent.

The government is in the process of introducing regulations for bouncers and security officers employed in bars and nightclubs.

Sources said the draft was modelled on the Private Security Industry Act of the UK. The business there is regulated by the Security Industry Authority.

The government started working on legislation to regulate the standards of bouncers soon after the death of a Sudanese immigrant last May. A 29-year-old bouncer at Footloose Bar in Paceville, Duncan Deguara, is facing criminal proceedings for seriously injuring Suleiman Abubaker, who later died.

In April a Korean student was hospitalised after an alleged assault at a Paceville bar.