Hawkers charged with attacking police for parking near their market stall

Two men have been released on bail after being charged with threatening, attacking and slightly injuring police officers who had parked near their market stall

The men had told the police not to park so close to their market stall, fearing that the vehicle was going to hit it, but the police had parked there anyway (File photo)
The men had told the police not to park so close to their market stall, fearing that the vehicle was going to hit it, but the police had parked there anyway (File photo)

Two Egyptian men have been released on bail after being charged with threatening, attacking and slightly injuring police officers who had parked near their market stall.

Father and son, Fouad Tayel, 58, and Omar Fouad Tayel, 18, who run a market stall selling women's clothes, appeared before magistrate Josette Demicoli this morning, accused of having attacked three police officers – two of them women, at Marsaxlokk yesterday afternoon.

It is understood that the officers, who had been on patrol, had parked their squad car near the accused men's stall. The men had told the police not to park so close to their market stall, fearing that the vehicle was going to hit it, but the police had parked there anyway.

The hawkers had then allegedly attacked the police. The father was said to have been brandishing a clotheshanger and his son is alleged to have punched the male driver.

Defence lawyer Martha Mifsud entered a plea of not guilty and requested bail. The younger man had no prior convictions, she said, arguing that there was not even going to be a compilation of evidence in this case, and that it would be referred to a district sitting.

The Court granted the men bail against deposits of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €5,000 each. It also imposed a curfew on the men and ordered them to sign a bail book three times a week.