db Hotel fight: Staff testimony contradicts family’s as court orders investigation into relatives' conduct

A court heard on Thursday how an alleged victim in an altercation at the dB Seabank Hotel in Mellieha is currently in intensive care, apparently due to an underlying previous medical condition and not the blow he received on Saturday.

On Wednesday, proceedings against British national Liam Joseph Stacey, who is charged with grievously injuring Roderick Sciortino, continued. Police officials, hotel staff and Sciortino’s relatives testified during a sitting which took several hours. Amongst other things, staff told the court that three men had attacked the defendant.

Police officers confirm 50-person fight

A number of police officers testified first, recounting that they had been called due to a “50-person” fight last Saturday.

Inspector Warren Galea recalled being asked to provide back-up whilst he was on duty at the St Paul’s Bay feast.

He told the court that from what he was told, a Maltese group had been drinking, with several people asking the hotel to kick them out. Moreover, Stacey had asked the group not to shout and swear inasmuch as he had young children with him.

Officers, in view of the critical condition of the victim, concluded that the best course of action would be to arrest Stacey until further investigations were conducted. The British national was described by the inspector as being in shock. The court thanked the inspector for his loyal testimony.

In relation to Stacey’s arrest, another officer stated that the defendant had told him that “he was not used to these things” and that a holiday with the children turned into one big mess. Stacey’s partner, it was stated, was “petrified”.

Details also emerged about the arrest of the “man in the red shorts” referred to variously throughout the last sitting. One officer stationed at the RIU described the “commotion” which he had found at the Seabank hotel and testified that Tonya Cook (a British police officer who provided extensive testimony during the previous sitting) briefed him about the events which had taken place and alerted him to the said man in red shorts – Jesmond Portelli.

The officer recalled speaking to Portelli and asking him for his particulars. The latter, uncooperative at that stage, was warned that he would be placed under arrest if he did not comply. Once arrested, he calmed down and provided relevant information, leading to his release.

Answering questions posed by defence lawyer Stefano Filletti, the officer confirmed that Portelli made no mention of throwing sunbeds at people, fighting the accused, or pushing a woman.

Relatives cautioned by the court before providing their version of events

A number of Sciortino’s relatives took the witness stand, with each being warned by the court to say nothing but the whole truth and informed that they could opt not to provide answers which would lead to self-incrimination.

The court was informed that the group had organised a birthday party for Sciortino and his partner’s one-year-old daughter. This included an ‘quċċija’, a birthday cake, and a day by the pool.

Maria Meilak, the sister of Alexia Meilak, who is Sciortino’s partner, recalled that an argument between Sciortino and Stacey had broken out, with Sciortino climbing over the planters which separated their sunbeds and Stacey’s sunbeds, to ask the Englishman “what are you saying?” in Maltese.

She stated that it was at this juncture that Stacey punched the man. She stated that Jesmond Portelli, her boyfriend sporting the red shorts, jumped over the planters to check on Roderick Sciortino, and that he did not even know with whom he had been fighting.

The court, with reference to Tonya Cook’s testimony earlier this week, asked Meilak whether she could recall anyone pulling her hair or any other woman’s hair. The witness stated that she could not remember.

Asked why the fight broke out, Meilak responded: “I am not going to tell you to ask Roderick because he is at hospital, on machines”. She denied that her family were making noise, and stated that until the argument, “we were having fun and it was a nice day”.

She also confirmed that when Jesmond Portelli threw a deckchair and table, the latter accidentally hit her sister. She insisted that she did not know where Portelli went after the altercation, since she was only concerned with Roderick’s condition, since he was unconscious and receiving CPR.

It also emerged from various witnesses that Roderick Sciortino had been struggling with a serious health condition prior to the incident.

Jesmond Portelli, the man in red shorts, then testified after previously trying to eavesdrop.

He insisted that the argument took place between Sciortino and Stacey, and that the former’s partner exclaimed that Sciortino fell flat to the ground. Portelli also made reference to a video which circulated on social media earlier this week, stating that “I was pleased with the video” and that what he was saying emerged therefrom.

The witness also stated that Stacey felt good about himself “as he knew how to fight” and that whilst he could not confirm what sparked the brawl, he was “hit for nothing”. He added that he was the victim of “two KOs” [knock-outs], and only threw the deckchairs in the heat of the moment.

Portelli conceded that the barman “told us to stop” and told Sciortino to stop smoking, but denied pulling his partner’s hair and refuted claims that the group had hung the baby upside down. “Why would someone throw their child a €2,000 party if they do not respect them?”, he added. He also denied removing things from the sunbeds of other patrons.

He also recalled going to the hospital to see Sciortino and confirmed that although he himself complained of various injuries, he failed to file a police report or obtain a medical report.

Malcolm Meilak testified next. He also stated that he was not sure why the argument started, but conceded that “maybe we were bothering him [Liam Joseph Stacey]”. The witness also confirmed that one of his sisters was suffering from epileptic fits, but was not aware of any incident which had taken place prior. He added that he was not drunk and spent the day with his girlfriend Georgette.

Under cross-examination, the witness was asked whether he was aware of any past problems between his sister Alexia and Sciortino, to which he answered in the negative. Lawyer Stefano Filletti then asked whether he was aware that Sciortino was charged with punching his partner in April and that the latter dropped the charges.

Meilak, visibly surprised, affirmed that he was not aware.

Roderick Sciortino’s partner, Alexia Meilak, informed the court that Sciortino is currently in intensive care, adding that she was passing through a very rough patch. She insisted that she did not know who started the fight, adding that guests had asked them to calm down and keep quiet. “We did bother people, but it did not have to end this way, my partner almost died”, she added.

Alexia Meilak also conceded that she had court cases, including domestic violence cases against her partner, after initially stating that Sciortino was always “alright” with her.

Christabelle Meilak recalled being rather far from the scene of the incident and that she was shocked to see Sciortino, who she conceded had been drinking, lying flat on the ground.

She added that prior to the incident, the group had a very minor and unrelated argument, where she took offence to a particular joke. She refuted that anyone pulled her hair.

Her partner, Christian Fucile, testified that he did not know what the fight was all about, and that he intervened to separate the persons involved in the fight. He added that he tried to help Sciortino, even if he did not have a course in first aid.

Hotel staff’s testimony offers departures from relatives’ testimony

Staff who were working at the hotel last Saturday testified after Sciortino’s family, with differences in testimony noticeable.

Raymond Bonanno, assistant general manager at the hotel, informed the Court that at around 4:30pm, there was another fight involving the Maltese group. Less than 10 minutes later, a staff member alerted him to a woman having a fit. He recalled attending to the woman, and that at one point he looked back after hearing commotion. He stated that he saw “three Maltese attacking an English guest of ours”.

Bonanno confirmed that the hotel received complaints about the local group from other guests, including Tonya Cook. He also verified that there are no security cameras around the pool, with the reception cameras not working.

A receptionist at the hotel testified that he and the assistant food and beverage manager had asked the group to stop arguing with each other after receiving complaints. Sciortino, who appears to have been a frequent guest at the hotel, warned the manager not to involve himself. Indeed, Sciortino told him “you do not want to be involved because this is a family issue. If you do not move or bring more people, I will throw you in the pool straight away”.

The receptionist also identified that one woman in the group was crying on a sunbed.

He also confirmed that Stacey told Roderick Sciortino to calm down because he has kids, and that this prompted Sciortino to punch the Englishman who then defended himself. It was also confirmed that Portelli followed Stacey towards the hotel lobby, pushing a guest with a baby on the way there. Portelli, he added, was kicking the glass and shouting aggressively.

Asked why he did not kick the group out, he answered that as a receptionist that was out of his remit.

The assistant food and beverage manager confirmed that Sciortino threatened to push him in the pool, and that Stacey had asked Sciortino to calm down.

The court, in view of the staff’s testimony, ordered an investigation into the conduct of the individuals mentioned in said testimony.

A barman also recalled that the group would constantly jump the queue and demand to be served first. At one point, a member of the group dropped his glasses behind the bar and even jumped inside said bar to pick them up. He added that the group were splashing water, and that he ended up being splashed.

At the end of the sitting, the court ruled that there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed, and upheld a request for the defendant to be able to travel back to England.

The case was adjourned to 10 September.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech presided over the court.

The prosecution was led by AG lawyer Brandon Bonnici and Kevin Valletta, assisted by Inspectors Bradley Grima and Clayton Camilleri.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti assisted Stacey.