A man who pointed a toy gun at three young men when they became aggressive after a traffic accident was yesterday conditionally discharged for a year.

Saviour Mifsud Bonnici, 58, of Żebbuġ was involved in a small traffic accident on March 16, 2009, near Porte des Bombes. However, the other car, driven by Denis Agius and carrying passengers Shaun Vella and Karl Farrugia, failed to stop.

Mr Mifsud Bonnici followed them and they ended up in the Park and Ride area at Blata l-Bajda.

He got out of the car to get the driver’s details but Mr Vella and Mr Farrugia also emerged and threw a Mcflurry ice cream at him which hit his car.

At that point, he told the court, he didn’t realise what it was, got scared, ran to his car and used a toy gun to effectively “arrest them”.

His defence counsel argued that Mr Mifsud Bonnici had carried out a citizen’s arrest after the other young men had approached him aggressively and shouted all sorts of insults at him.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke said she had no doubt he had arrested all three men but they had committed no crime and if the traffic accident took place as claimed, the accused would only have had a right to “arrest” Mr Agius.

The magistrate said he was in possession of a fake gun. However, after taking into consideration his cooperation with the police and his clean police record, she conditionally discharged him.