A police superintendent and three constables were cleared of beating a man they had arrested because of huge inconsistencies in his version of the facts.

They had to stop him from attacking not only his girlfriend but his sister, Maximiliana

Taxi driver Charlton Zammit, who was 21 at the time, alleged that Superintendent Antonello Grech, 39, a Gozitan, PC Charles Debattista, 54, from Balzan, PC Joseph Tonna, 51, and PC Alfred Camilleri, 54, both from Birkirkara had beaten him following an argument in a bar, Elements, in Buġibba on March 29, 2009.

He claimed that one of the officers began flirting with his girlfriend, Louisa Schembri, which sparked off an argument which escalated when he was escorted outside by a bouncer.

Mr Zammit recounted that he was eventually taken to the police station and then to hospital suffering from a black eye and vomiting blood.

Medical tests showed that he had almost five times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood. The officers said they had to stop him from attacking not only his girlfriend but his sister, Maximiliana, and that was why they intervened outside the club.

They had seen him arguing with the bouncer inside the bar and when Supt. Grech went over to see what the problem was, Mr Zammit accidentally knocked his glasses off his face.

As Mr Zammit was being escorted out of the bar, he punched a mirror on the wall. Outside he became violent and they had to restrain him.

Supt. Grech then called the Qawra police station and more officers arrived to assist them.They took Mr Zammit to the police station and he had to be helped up the steps to the station because he was very drunk.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera pointed out that before Mr Zammit was taken to the station he did not have a black eye. His girlfriend and his sister testified that they had later saw the injuries while inside the station and this was corroborated by other witnesses.

However, these were unreliable witnesses and had changed their versions many times, the magistrate noted.

The inconsistencies in Mr Zammit’s version of what had happened together with the fact that whoever had attacked him could not be identified led her to acquit the accused.

She found that although the officers used force, this was legitimate because they had to restrain him, something that was backed up by witnesses and circumstantial evidence

Lawyers Emmanuel Mallia, Arthur Azzopardi and Chris Cardona appeared for the officers.

Lawyer Stephen Farrugia Sacco appeared for Mr Zammit.