The man facing criminal proceedings after allegedly smashing a beer glass in the face of a barman at Munchies Bar in Qawra on April 1, today sat in court listening with head bent down as the victim took the witness stand.

Srdan Simic, a 23 year old Serbian national, stands accused of seriously injuring Ryan Magro, a 28-year-old husband and father from Mellieha, who is still battling to save his eyesight. 

Mr Magro recalled that on the evening of April 1, shortly after midnight, while at work in the bar, he was told that a friend of the accused was bothering a customer.  

He approached the foreign man, politely asking him to leave, whereupon the accused called him "stupid."

The two left the bar but Mr Simic then walked back inside and smashed a pint glass in his face.

Mr Magro said he had not seen the assault coming and had immediately lost his sight, as blood streamed down his face. He was rushed to hospital in an ambulance where a glass fragment was removed from his eye.

He was rushed to hospital in an ambulance where a glass fragment was removed from his eye.

After spending six days in hospital he was discharged but he is still battling to save his eyesight and is facing the prospect of surgery in the U.K.

READ: Barman blinded in one eye in 'unprovoked' Buġibba attack

David Busuttil from Rabat, stepfather of the victim and owner of Munchies Bar, recounted how, shortly before the aggression, he had approached the accused and his friend politely asking them to stop annoying other customers."Come back tomorrow," he had calmly told them while asking them to leave.

Mr Busuttil recalled how upon leaving, the accused had turned back and smashed the glass in his stepson's face, his voice breaking as he narrated the event in court. He tried to give chase but the accused and his friend managed to get away. Stopping a police car which happened to pass by he asked for help.

He tried to give chase but the accused and his friend managed to get away. He stopped a police car and asked for help.

The witness recognized the accused in court even though the latter had cut his hair and shaved his beard since the day of the incident.

At the end of the sitting the court, Magistrate Joseph Mifsud denied a request for bail on account of the gravity of the offence, the fact that the accused had no fixed residence and was unemployed. The court stood

The court stood firm by its decision even though the defence counsel pointed out that the accused's mother was willing to offer a home and act as guarantor for her son.

The court declared that it had to protect the victim's family and society at large.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto was defence counsel.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Yanica Vidal appeared parte civile.