A former University student was today condemned to a suspended jail term after being convicted of having assaulted the Dean of the Faculty of Science during graduation celebrations on December 1, 2011.

Glanville Goodlip, 22, was convicted of having assaulted Prof Carmelo Sammut, injuring him.

The court heard how the graduands had raised a din at the University and the dean asked them to stop.

As he did so, Goodlip sounded a fog horn close to the dean's ears. The dean grabbed it and threw it to the floor. The two then came to blows. The dean was struck with a bottle and thrown to the floor where he received more blows until the  former student was held by his friends. The dean remained in pain for two months and needed physiotherapy.

The court in handing down sentence said it had considered that the student had no criminal record and he was young. What had taken place happened during celebrations which exceeded every limit.

The court said it recognised that the student was not a criminal and was not likely to continue on a road of crime. However it regretted that he had not owed up and apologised immediately.

The court therefore imposed a six-month jail term suspended for a year and a protection order for Prof Sammuit against a personal guarantee of €1,000 by the former student.

The court appealed to the student's potential employers not be prejudiced by this judgement.