Long-standing argument ends in fractured nose

A 13-year-old argument between two pensioners reached a climax on Tuesday when one of the men hit the other with a piece of wood fracturing his nose.

The two, 66-year-old John Spiteri and Carmelo Bonnici, 74, both former hawkers, appeared in court yesterday under arrest. Mr Spiteri pleaded guilty to seriously injuring Mr Bonnici who, in turn, admitted to attempting to seriously injure Mr Spiteri.

Police Inspector Edmond Cuschieri said the feud between them had been going on for 13 years and came to a head on Tuesday at about midday in Mosta.

The two men stood in the dock, a few feet away from each other, and looked on as their defence lawyers argued about the punishment their clients should be given, placing the blame for the start of the fight on each other.

Lawyer Anġlu Farrugia, for Mr Bonnici, said his client deserved the minimum punishment allowed by law and lawyer Martin Fenech argued his client had been provoked.

Magistrate Antonio Vella said he was considering handing down an effective jail term because such behaviour was unacceptable. Upon hearing this, both men raised their hands, signalling they wanted to speak. This elicited a smile and a chuckle from the public gallery, police officers and lawyers present. They were told to put their hands down because they could only speak to their lawyers.

The court noted that according to law the minimum prison term for Mr Spiteri would be five months and three months in Mr Bonnici's case given the different charges brought against them. However, the magistrate decided to hand down a suspended jail term for a year for both and placed them under a guarantee of €2,000 each, which means that if they committed another crime they would have to pay that amount and be sent to jail.