Part of man's nose and lip ‘bitten off’ in Żabbar fight, court hears

A man has been accused of biting off part of another man’s nose and lip in a horrific fight that occurred in a Żabbar house.

Żabbar resident Ehis Imobhio, 40, from Nigeria, was arraigned before Magistrate Ian Farrugia by Inspector Darren Buhagiar, accused of assaulting and causing grievous bodily harm to another Nigerian man. The incident occurred on 28 December.

Imobhio, who wept loudly throughout the sitting, was also charged with breaching the peace and uttering insults or threats in excess of the limits warranted by provocation.

Inspector Buhagiar told the court how at 9:45pm on 28 December, the police had received a report about a noisy argument at a property in Triq il-Biċċieni, Żabbar.

Officers sent to investigate found the two men still grappling with each other and had intervened to break up the fight, he said.

“The victim, who was pinning the accused down at the time, released him. But then the police saw the injuries on both parties’ faces,” explained the inspector. “The accused needed stitches to his head and thumb, but the victim had part of his nose and lip bitten off by the accused.”

The men were given medical treatment at the Paola Health Centre and later in hospital, Buhagiar added.

Asked by the court to confirm his identity, the sobbing Imobhio was barely comprehensible. He told the court that he was officially unemployed, but did odd jobs.

A not guilty plea was entered by his lawyer, Martha Mifsud, who was appointed as legal aid in this case.

Bail was not being requested at this stage, said the defence.

The magistrate ordered that Imobhio be remanded in custody, urging the prosecution to summon the victim to testify at the first opportunity.

As the escorting officers approached to take him away, the accused knelt down in the dock, sobbing and wailing “I am not a problem person!”

The implacable magistrate, calmed the man down, and urged him to behave whilst in custody in order to better his chances of bail.