In court for 17 years over a punch
A case which started 17 years ago when a man allegedly punched a bank manager, is expected to be concluded in court in January.
The incident happened on September 2, 1995 when Stephen Bonsfield punched Raymond Brockdorff in a Mid-Med Bank branch.
The manager needed surgery to his jaw.
Bonsfield was convicted by a magistrate's court and condemned to a jail term of 18 months by (then) Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani.
During the appeal, Mr Justrice Joseph Galea Debono annulled the sentence and sent the case back to the Magistrates' Court.
Magistrate Padovani renounced the case which then landed before Magistrate Audrey Demicioli, who will deliver her sentence on January 25.
The case started after the accused protested after the bank withheld Lm5 from his account. He pleaded in court that he did not intend to hurt the manager and he acted on the spur of the moment.
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29 Comments
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Joseph Borg
Oct 19th 2012, 05:18
Wait, wait ... do we know if the accused had a history of violence?
James Dewar
Oct 18th 2012, 20:56
That's not justice.....it's a gross injustice with a large measure of bureaucratic incompetence thrown in.
17 YEARS!
Ms Sandra Grech
Oct 18th 2012, 18:34
Are the courts for real here????!!!
vella m
Oct 18th 2012, 16:42
Our Law courts are a joke,17-il sena fuq daqqa ta ponn, tal-misthija,LOL
Peter Paul Sacco
Oct 18th 2012, 18:31
A punch which required surgery to the jaw, Mr Vella, apart from the mental shock suffered by Mr Brockdorff who was only doing his duty.
Mr Tony Gatt
Oct 18th 2012, 16:07
Quick justice- just the thing!
anthony sultana
Oct 18th 2012, 16:01
Just change the government.
Joseph Camilleri
Oct 18th 2012, 16:10
Are you saying a PL government will interfere with the Judiciary?
ANTHONY PAVIA
Oct 18th 2012, 16:51
No! But might wake up some sleeping horses. I suppose even you would desire swifter court cases conclusions.
S Vella
Oct 18th 2012, 15:46
Alla hares kellhom jaqtaw il kas tal great train robbery.....17-il sena fuq daqqa ta ponn, tal-misthija!
Min dak iz-zmien anki l-bank spicca u m'ghadux jezisti......
Mhux ta b'xejn hemm dak il-volum ta' kawzi pendenti u nies frustrati telghajn u nezlin ghal xejn.
Minn hu accountable ghal dan id-dizastru????
Ronnie Callus
Oct 18th 2012, 16:44
Biex inkompli mieghek Mr.Vella ,veru tal-misthija li biex tinqata sentenza fuq daqqa ta' ponn tiehu 17 il-sena. Dan ifisser li l-Manager dam jistenna ghad danni, ghall dan it-tul ta' zmien, mela haqqu jehodhom bl-imghax. Basta nghatuhom zjieda biex taparsi tizdied l-efficjenza, ghidlu l-Gvern. Din isejhila serjeta Dr.Gonzi. Sew jghidilna Dr.Franco Debono. Nisperaw li n-nies tghalmet issa.
Ryan Scicluna
Oct 18th 2012, 15:23
What happened to the 60 Euro fine for bashing someone????
Paul Sammut
Oct 18th 2012, 15:22
Just wondering how many days this men had to take as vacation leave to attend the court sittings.What a joke as always ONLY IN MALTA. ON the other hand this is not one of the oldest pending cases because we have cases older then twenty years.
matin calleya
Oct 18th 2012, 21:32
VACATION LEAVE????? LOL
GL Calleja
Oct 18th 2012, 15:17
This is getting ridiculous. Everybody, including the parliament is aware how bad our courts are and yet we keep the same people in-charge. Where is the Chief Justice? We have to stop promoting judges and magistrates through politics and clean up the courts. We need somebody capable to step up to the plate. Is this really a Mickey Mouse Country?
Victor Pulis
Oct 18th 2012, 15:04
Anyone thinking of writing a comedy has the script ready made in Malta's courts!
Paul Portelli
Oct 18th 2012, 15:17
ghandek ragun Vic. Jiktbu fl-kummiedja li ghamel mintoff fin national bank u l-bical....
Paul Sammut
Oct 18th 2012, 15:32
Mr Portelli the subject is a long case in court i do not see your point turning it to a political matter. If this was the case then on the other hand we could write a book about the selling of Mid med bank, Air Malta, the Malta drydocks, the state of the art mater dei, the power station, Arriva,and so on
Mario Desira
Oct 18th 2012, 16:56
Yeah, name the comedy Punch and Judy :)
Keith Cauchi
Oct 18th 2012, 15:00
Interesting... the case outlived the Bank!
Jay Oatmon
Oct 18th 2012, 14:58
What a joke the Malta courts really are - imagine waiting 17 years for this !!!
A decent court with workable procedures would have settled this in an hour!
GL Calleja
Oct 18th 2012, 15:08
I keep suggesting that we should create Local County Courts for small cases. But nobody listens.
Desiree' Attard
Oct 18th 2012, 14:52
You know something's wrong with the system when proceedings take 17 years to complete. Disgraceful.
GL Calleja
Oct 18th 2012, 15:10
Remember the phrase " Only in Malta" this is what it is all about.
Karl Consiglio
Oct 18th 2012, 14:50
Looking forward to the conclusion.
Peter Murray
Oct 18th 2012, 14:45
if he that that today he would get a medal
A Caruana
Oct 18th 2012, 14:45
Ha ha, yes only in Malta 5 men were fined 60 euros within a few days for punching a protester against their tents in Marsasxlokk AND they also turned up in court in beachwear. Yet this case has dragged on for 17 years? The mind boggles.
A. Falzon
Oct 18th 2012, 14:44
Well how about a fine of Euro 60, just like a case some time ago. Apart of course that 17 years have past.
Mr Duncan Scerri
Oct 18th 2012, 15:25
Yeah, depreciation in value after 17 years...fine him 53 cents and we can all go home.
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