A violent brawl in St James Square, Żabbar yesterday evening landed two foreign nationals in court where they were handed suspended sentences over a string of offences related to the fracas. They were also severely warned to stay away from trouble.

Gareth Chlach, 18, residing in Żabbar and Youssef Samah, 20, from Gaza, residing at the Marsa Open Centre, were arraigned and charged with threatening and insulting each other and breaching public peace.

Mr Chlach was separately charged with assaulting and threatening an unidentified third party while being unlawfully armed.

The other co-accused, besides being charged as a relapser, was separately charged with the unauthorised and unlawful possession of a knife in public and while committing an offence against a person.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Ian Farrugia, heard how the two men were arrested after the police were alerted to a public disturbance at the Żabbar square.

Upon the men's own admission, the court declared the accused guilty and condemned them each to a three-month jail term suspended for two years warning them that they would face serious repercussions unless they steered clear from any other wrongdoing within this two-year period.

Inspector Josric Mifsud prosecuted. Lawyers Benjamin Valenzia and Leontine Calleja were defence counsel.