A magistrate today issued a treatment order after hearing how a man who pleaded guilty to assaulting and seriously injuring two men during a fight found it difficult to manage his anger.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja placed the man on probation for three years after hearing that he had never been granted bail over the incident and has been in preventive arrest since September 25 last year. He also ordered him to carry out 100 hours of work in the community.

He was ruling in the case brought against Romania-born Richard Dean Monaco, 20, from Msida, who was charged with seriously injuring two Spaniards as they were walking on the Sliema promenade.

The court heard how some remarks were exchanged that led to a brawl between Mr Monaco and his friend and Thomasz Okon and Barquilla Izquierdo Julio Alberto. The incident happened at around 4am on September 25.

In a pre-sentencing report ordered by Magistrate Bugeja, probation officer Charisse Briffa said that the defendant had an anger management problem and recommended that this be addressed through a treatment order.

While taking into consideration the fact that he was a relapser, since this was not his first conviction, Magistrate Bugeja placed him on probation for three years, ordered him to 100 hours of community work and also issued a three-year treatment order to address his anger management problem. The magistrate also ordered biannual progress reports.

Police Inspector Elton Taliana prosecuted while lawyer Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici appeared for the accused.