Four Britons slightly injured three policemen in a brawl as they tried to protect a disabled relative from being attacked by other people in a fight, a court heard yesterday.

The four were named as Jane Warwick, 41, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named because he is a minor, both from Xemxija, Christopher Pocock, 31, and Alexandria Finch, 19, both from St Paul’s Bay.

They admitted injuring the police yesterday at 5.45am.

Legal aid lawyer Renzo Porsella Flores told Magistrate Carol Peralta that his clients had been defending a disabled relative of theirs from an attack and the police got involved. He gave no further details.

He said they were admitting to violently resisting arrest, slightly injuring three police officers, threatening them and disturbing the peace.

Magistrate Peralta said that “any form of resistance to any legitimate police authority cannot be condoned and while the court can understand the circumstances, it believes that an effective period of imprisonment is not ideal”.

He sentenced them to one year in jail suspended for two years.