A nurse has been acquitted of beating a 10-year-old disabled patient at Mount Carmel Hospital's Youth Residence after it was proven that the child threatened to tell his mother that he was being beaten in order to be taken out of the residence.

The case dates to last September when Brady Bezzina, 25, was accused of negligently allowing the boy to be slightly injured, failing to fulfil his duties as a public servant and failing his duty of caring for the child.

The boy claimed that Mr Bezzina had assaulted him, flung him to the floor and forced him to mop up water he had spilt onto the floor using his bed linen.

Various witnesses had testified to the boy's misdemeanour, pointing out that the newly-admitted boy spent his first day at the residence chasing other children on his wheelchair. It also emerged that the boy had threatened to tell his mother he was being beaten in order to be taken out of the residence.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit heard how he had taken to violently rocking himself against the armrests of his wheelchair.

The accused, who vehemently denied the charges, was consistent throughout in his version of events. On the contrary, the magistrate noted that the child's testimony was contradictory.

At first the child had insisted he "did not feel like" giving the court his version of events. He then launched into a string of claims which did not make sense, such as first saying that the accused forced him to wash himself unaided, while later stating that he had always been washed by his mother.

He also claimed that the accused had made him get out of his wheelchair and pick up the spilt pills from the floor. However, the court had confirmed that the boy was incapable of getting in and out of his wheelchair unassisted. The court said it had observed firsthand that the boy had needed to be carried into the magistrate's chambers.

An internal investigation into the incident by the hospital found no wrongdoing by Mr Bezzina. The court was further convinced of his innocence through medical reports indicating that the bruises on the boy's ribs were a result of his vigorous rocking.

The court was therefore convinced of Mr Bezzina's version of events and acquitted him of all charges.

Lawyer Maxilene Pace was defence counsel, while lawyer Andre Borg was parte civile. Police inspector Sandra Zammit prosecuted.