A one-week holiday turned into a nightmare for a British family after getting into a fight with two Maltese men who were yesterday charged with the attempted murder of one of the tourists.

The Cooper family had arrived just hours before and were on their way to dinner on Sunday in St Pauls Bay at 10 p.m. when they failed to stop at a stop sign and almost crashed into a car with two men inside, a driver and a passenger, police sources said.

A heated argument ensued and the two men followed the family down the road in their Volkswagen Passat until they pulled over and the argument escalated.

Gary Dennis Cooper alighted as his parents and sister remained in the car. A fight followed in which Mr Cooper received 13 blows to the head and required sutures to his face and head. At one point, his sister, Michelle, also got involved and was hit on her left eye. The parents were at no time involved in the argument, the sources said.

Noel Falzon, 21, a security guard from Birkirkara, and his unemployed friend, Anthony Muscat, 19, of St Paul’s Bay, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Antonio Mizzi in connection with the incident.

When Police Inspector Therese Sciberras called Mr Cooper to testify, defence counsel objected, arguing the prosecuting officer was not following the correct procedure.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Edward Gatt insisted that, just as their clients had been charged, the Coopers too should be charged for their part in the fight.

The prosecuting officer said they would be arraigned the following day on charges regarding contraventions such as swearing in public, making obscene gestures and so on.

The lawyers then noted that once the visitors were going to be charged then, according to law, they could not testify, adding this was bad practice by the officer.

At this point, the defence and the prosecution accompanied Magistrate Mizzi in his chambers to discuss the point further. On returning, it was decided that the tourists would not give evidence until their own arraignment.

A doctor will examine injuries suffered by both parties.

Magistrate Mizzi granted the accused bail against a personal guarantee of €5,000.

As the family of the accused was walking out of the court room, the victim’s father said: “Shame on you, shame on you” as he held his daughter who was crying.