Four years for man who seriously injured his mother's lawyer

Philip Camilleri, 35, from Marsa was found guilty of assaulting lawyer Tonio Azzopardi, causing him to suffer a permanent disability

A magistrate has jailed a man for his part in the 2006 assault of a lawyer in 2006, saying that the accused had displayed “gross arrogance and intimidation,” which had manifested itself in unacceptable acts of violence.

35-year-old Philip Camilleri, from Marsa, and his late father, also named Philip, had been charged with attacking lawyer Tonio Azzopardi following a disagreement over an €11,600 schedule of deposit from a separate case. 

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia was told how, during the afternoon of July 3 2006, the two men had stormed into the lawyer’s office, knocking Azzopardi to the ground and then kicking him in the head. Azzopardi told the court that he had suffered approximately 40 blows during the attack, which had left Azzopardi suffering from hearing loss.

Azzopardi had represented Joyce Camilleri, the mother of the accused, in a prior civil case, which she had won. After the case was concluded, the two men had gone to withdraw funds they had deposited in court and had learned that the funds had in fact been under the lawyer’s control.

On the day of the incident, they had called at Azzopardi’s office and demanded the money “as it belonged to them.” He recounted how, as soon as he had opened his door, the younger man started to shout and then physically attacked him. Philip Camilleri Sr also joined in at that point.

Court appointed medical experts testified that Azzopardi had suffered a perforated eardrum, resulting in hearing impairment.

The court was not impressed by the defence’s claim that Azzopardi had attacked the younger man first, the magistrate saying that it could not possibly believe this to be the case and describing the behaviour as “completely unacceptable behaviour in a civilised society,” imposing a four-year custodial sentence.

Camilleri was also ordered to pay the costs of the case, which amounted to €1,400.