Two men charged with fatally beating a hairdresser in Paceville were yesterday granted bail by Magistrate Neville Camilleri.

Joseph Zahra, from St Julian’s, and Brian Cini, from Victoria, were granted bail against a €5,000 deposit and personal guarantee of €15,000 each.

They are pleading not guilty to the murder of Mario Galea, 47, in the early hours of August 10.

The prosecution is claiming that the accused, both 28, repeatedly kicked the victim in the head, punched and dragged him by his long hair after he fell to his knees before collapsing unconscious. Minutes later he was run over by a taxi and died from asphyxia, as revealed by an autopsy.

Lawyers Michael Sciriha, Lucio Sciriha, Giannella de Marco and Gianluca Caruana Curran represented the accused.

Lawyer Martin Fenech is representing the victim’s family.

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted.

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