Three men have admitted animal cruelty charges after they were arrested yesterday during a police raid on a cockfighting den in Qormi.

Construction worker Johann Saliba, 37, Adrian Pace, 22 and 21-year-old Wasteserv employee Matthew Micallef were charged with a series of animal welfare offences, including causing animals unnecessary suffering and mistreating animals in their care.

Offences under the Animal Welfare Act are punishable with fines ranging between €1000 and €55,000 and up to three years in prison.

Inspector Roderick Agius told magistrate Gabriella Vella that police had been tipped off that illegal cockfighting was being held at a farmhouse in Ħandaq, limits of Qormi yesterday and had raided the premises. 

Police found many people there, the inspector testified, and subsequent investigations revealed that the three accused men had, in the preceding months, had been practising cockfighting. 

Lawyer Edward Gatt, appearing for Mr Micallef, said that while his client was present, he had not organised the fight. Police had found videos of cockfights on Mr Micallef's phone, his lawyer said, who argued that watching a video was not a crime.

Dr Gatt said his client had admitted to occasionally taking part in fights, which "some call sport and some do not," but had expressed contrition.

"I was surprised to see only three persons in the dock, when the press reported 30 yesterday.”  Micallef was willing to help police in their investigations, added the lawyer. He asked for the court to be merciful and requested bail.

Lawyer Franco Debono, appearing together with lawyer Amadeus Cachia for Mr Saliba, argued that their client was a first-time offender. He had also told police that he had only gone to watch the fights. Dr Debono asked the court to take into account Mr Saliba's early guilty plea.

Lawyer Ludwig Caruana, appearing for Mr Pace, told the court that the crime was not aggravated. No bets were involved and Mr Pace had not organised the fights, he said, adding that he had not excluded that he may have been involved in fights in the preceding days.

Prosecutors did not object to bail the three accused, and the court released the men on bail against a personal guarantee of €10,000. 

A judgment is expected tomorrow morning.

Inspector Roderick Agius and Inspector Colin Schembri prosecuted.

 

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