A 23-year-old man allegedly beat up a woman and had a glass smashed in his face during a fight which started with the woman claiming she was his cousin.

The accused, George Falzon, was in a shop when Doris Debono walked up to him and claimed to be his cousin.

The man accompanying Ms Debono then asked Mr Falzon if he recalled trying to run him over with his horse, at which point the fight broke out, the prosecution said.

During the fight Ms Debono allegedly had her elbow broken and also suffered bruised ribs. Mr Falzon had a glass smashed in his face during the fight, the defence lawyer alleged.

In asking for bail, the defence asked the court to take into consideration the fact that their client did not even know the woman before the incident and that they live in different villages.

The prosecution did not oppose bail but asked for strict conditions to be imposed on the accused. Mr Falzon was granted bail against a personal guarantee of €2,000 and a deposit €200.

Police Inspector Tony Cachia prosecuted.

Lawyers Veronique Dalli and José Herrera appeared for the accused.