Five men had been condemned to suspended jail terms for punching and kicking two policemen after a wedding reception in Marsascala on September 25, 2011.

The court heard how the the two officers were on extra duties at the wedding. As the people were leaving, several of them were seen to be drunk.

An argument broke out between two women and one of the officers, Francis Formosa tried to calm them down. A man approached and started insulting him. Then he was surrounded by several other people who started punching him. He fell to the floor and was repeatedly punched and kicked until somebody pulled him up and helped him out.

Meanwhile, his colleague Jurgen Zerafa, who had come to his aide was similarly punched and kicked on the floor.

Then, as the two officers moved away from the scene, a man rushed out at them and hit PC Formosa hard, throwing him to the ground and fracturing his wrist.

In its considerations, the court noted that the accused were drunk and had a clean or relatively clean criminal record, but they had assaulted two uniformed officers.

Peter Paul Camilleri, who was convicted of having hit PC Formosa and seriously injured him as well as having slightly injured C Zerafa,  was condemned to a 20 month jail term suspended for three years;

Peter Camilleri, Jesrit Camilleri and Joseph Medina were condemend to a 12-month jail term suspended for two years for having  assaulted the two officers.

Caren Camilleri, who was a relapser,was condemned to 14 months imprisonment suspended for two years.