The bartender arrested after a flaming cocktail trick left three people with serious burns has been granted police bail but was not charged in court yesterday due to a technical hiccup.

The 22-year-Macedonian was expected to be charged with causing involuntary bodily harm after a 16-year-old Italian boy suffered grievous burns when a cocktail trick, known as the ‘Flaming Lamborghini’, went wrong.

Two girls, a 16-year-old Italian and a 17-year-old from Spain, were also treated for facial burns as a result of the incident. However, their injuries were less serious than those sustained by the boy.

The bartender was present in court yesterday, which opened with urgency to hear the case. The two teenage girls were also there, both of whom had visible facial injuries.

However, presiding magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech was unable to hear the charges brought against the bartender as there was a technical problem with his arrest. The case, she said, would have to be heard by the district magistrate responsible for cases related to St Julian’s.

The two young women are expected to leave the island in the coming days and hope the case is heard in time to give their testimony.

Bartender claims a fault in the alcohol pourer

Also present in court yesterday was Paceville entrepreneur Hugo Chetcuti who owns the establishment – Bacco Sticks and Sum – where the incident took place.

At one point, as lawyers and the magistrate were deliberating over whether the case could be heard yesterday, Mr Chetcuti entered the room with a bag of bottled water, which he asked permission to give to the two girls and their interpreter.

The Italian who sustained the worst injuries was unable to attend as he was still receiv-ing treatment. He was rushed to Mater Dei on Friday evening where he spent several hours in intensive care before being moved to another part of the hospital.

The youth was close to the structure as he was filming the assembly of the cocktail on his mobile phone.

In footage of the incident, being used by investigators, the bartender is seen placing six shot glasses in a circle beneath stacks of champagne glasses, with another shot glass on top.

The bartender is claiming a fault in the alcohol pourer fixed to one of the bottles had resulted in its contents spraying out rather than pouring.

His lawyer, Arthur Azzopardi, yesterday told the Times of Malta his client reserved the right to take action against the manufacturer of the pouring device.