A violent scuffle at a Zabbar bus stop almost 13 years ago, landed three women in court with two of them facing charges of having seriously injured the third woman who had to face a long period of recovery after the assault.
Carmen Ellul, 61, and her sister Josephine Psaila, 66, were accused of having violently assaulted Michelina Bondin during a fight which broke out one afternoon in May 2004.
Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, heard how the victim had reportedly just alighted a bus when she came face to face with the two sisters who happened to be getting off the same bus.
Taking offence when Ms Ellul allegedly labeled her a "cuckold", the victim grabbed the other lady by the hair and dragged her out of the vehicle. A scuffle ensued wherein Ms Bondin admitted to having given as much as she got.
At one point, the bickering women lost their balance, with Ms Bondin ending up pinned on the ground under the weight of her aggressor.
Police officers who were called by Ms Psaila from the nearby station to break up the fight, soon realized that Ms Bondin had suffered a fractured foot since she was unable to get to her feet and had to be rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
Doctors certified that the woman had suffered three broken bones in her left ankle, which called for surgery and which took long to heal, causing the woman to endure weeks of limited mobility.
The court, after hearing the evidence of all parties involved, concluded that one of the sisters, Ms Psaila, had not been involved in the fight as had been alleged by the victim, but had rather rushed to the police station for help. For this reason, Ms Psaila was acquitted of all the charges.
Turning her attention to the other accused, the magistrate observed that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Ellul had caused the victim serious injuries which took long to heal.
Bearing in mind the clean criminal record sheet of the accused, the court declared her guilty but deemed it fit to condemn her to a jail term of 18 months suspended for 3 years.