An Attard councillor yesterday testified in his defence and denied attacking and injuring a man at his local Labour Party club two years ago.

John Bonnici, a former PL councillor, is being charged with slightly injuring Richard Vella at the club on October 28, 2010.

Mr Bonnici recently tendered his resignation from the party but retained his seat as an independent councillor in Attard.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit heard Mr Bonnici explain that, about four years earlier, he had a tiff with Mr Vella, who had punched him but he decided not the report the matter to the police.

On the day of the incident, he went to have a drink at the PL club and Mr Vella told him to remove the glass in front of him as it was getting him annoyed.

Mr Bonnici said that he left the club and returned about an hour later. When he walked in, a friend offered him a drink and they started talking.

Suddenly, he said, Mr Vella went up to him and told him to stop speaking behind the back of “the Mrs”.

Mr Bonnici said he did not know who he was referring to and Mr Vella told him he meant Simone Buhagiar, Labour MP Charles Buhagiar’s wife.

Mr Vella then phoned Ms Buhagiar and shoved the phone in Mr Bonnici’s face so he “told her to her face”. Mr Bonnici said that he told the woman she knew where to find him if they needed to speak.

Mr Vella then snatched his phone back and pushed him. He landed on his back and tried to support himself with his left arm, breaking a finger in the process.

He went to the Mosta health centre and, later, to Mater Dei Hospital where he was eventually operated upon. He later learnt he had suffered a five per cent disability.

Mr Bonnici insisted that he was not drunk at the time of the incident and that he did not attack Mr Vella but it was Mr Vella who had pushed him.

Mr Bonnici had been in the media spotlight in July 2009 when he damaged the Attard parish church parvis because the balustrades were blocking easy access to the PL club.

He had landed in court and was give a five-month jail term suspended for a year after he pleaded guilty.