Prosecutors in the trial of Pasqualino Cefai, who was acquitted of trying to murder a man who was stabbed 14 times inside a court room but found guilty of causing serious injury, have called for the maximum punishment.

In submissions, lawyer Lara Lanfranco from the Attorney General’s Office asked Mr Justice Michael Mallia to hand down the maximum term.

The victim, Joseph Portelli, suffered 14 stab wounds, she said, describing it as a harsh attack that could have killed him. Mr Cefai had stabbed Mr Portelli, 57, of Żebbuġ, repeatedly inside a Gozo court room on June 6, 2012.

The attack happened during a case where Mr Cefai was trying to block Mr Portelli from executing a warrant of seizure on two trucks as compensation for money owed to him by Mr Cefai.

Defence lawyer said his client was a very sick man

Mr Portelli’s lawyer Kevin Mompalao was also injured in the attack as he tried to shield himself from the blows of Mr Cefai.

While many expected him to be found guilty of attempted murder and would have faced a maximum of 30 years, he is now likely to receive a jail term below 10 years behind bars.

Jurors at the end of the trial on Friday, following seven-and-a-half hours of deliberation, had found him guilty by six votes to three of causing serious injury and by the same vote count not guilty of trying to murder him. They also found him guilty by eight votes to one of causing a slight injury to Dr Mompalao. Mr Cefai was also found guilty of relapsing and committing the crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term.

Dr Lanfranco told the court yesterday that Mr Cefai had already been found guilty in 2011 of injuring Mr Portelli. The accused also had a colourful criminal record and that the maximum possible punishment should be handed down.

Mr Cefai’s psychiatrist, Anton Grech, said that he had treated Mr Cefai some five times for depression in sessions before and after the stabbing.

Also testifying, Mr Cefai’s mother Tereża, said that in total, €12,000 had so far been paid to Mr Portelli, leaving a balance of €666.

Defence lawyer Edward Gatt, in his own submissions, said his client was a very sick man and asked the judge not to forfeit the deposit and personal guarantee made as part of the bail conditions so as not to put his family in a precarious financial situation.

Mr Justice Mallia is expected to pronounce judgment tomorrow.