A soldier who works as a part-time bouncer was yesterday cleared of seriously injuring a party reveller three years ago because the court was “not morally convinced” it had been the accused.

Magistrate Edwina Grima ruled that although it had been established the injuries had been caused by a bouncer, the court had doubts whether it had been the accused who had kicked the victim, smashing his jaw in the process.

Stephen Ciangura, 37, of Rabat, was charged with seriously injuring René Brincat during a party at Gianpula in August 2009.

Mr Ciangura, along with his mother, manages Executive Services Limited, a company that employs bouncers. He served as Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s bodyguard when the latter resigned from the Nationalist Party earlier this year.

The court noted that Mr Brincat’s version of events had not been consistent and that his version had changed during the course of the case.

She said that the court did not have the “moral certainty” that the accused was to blame for the injuries Mr Brincat had suffered.

Evidence in court indicated one bouncer thought that Mr Brincat was urinating against the bar.

But Mr Brincat denied it, saying he had simply put his hands into his pocket to get money to pay for a drink.

Mr Brincat claimed that a security guard pushed him and a scuffle broke out, involving other bouncers, during which he was grabbed by the head and kicked in the jaw by one of them.

He needed surgery and had a metal plate implanted in his jaw.

Mr Ciangura, his brother Trevor, also a bouncer, and other bouncers who were working there on the night in question all said that Mr Brincat was not injured until he was ejected from the club.

Magistrate Grima said she did not believe them.

During the proceedings, Mr Brincat said that he did not know Mr Ciangura but later said the bouncer was called “Stephen” and later identified his aggressor as the accused.

The court noted that Mr Brincat was inconsistent because he testified in a separate sitting that he knew the accused well. There were also inconsistencies in the versions given by Mr Brincat’s friends about what had happened.

Magistrate Grima said such inconsistencies could not convince the court that Mr Ciangura had been the bouncer who inflicted the serious injuries. According to law, any doubt had to favour the accused. She therefore cleared him of all charges.

Lawyers Emanuel Mallia and Arthur Azzopardi appeared for Mr Ciangura.