Man handed suspended sentence for Ħamrun stabbing incident

A 29-year-old man has been handed a suspended sentence after admitting to grievously injuring another man during an altercation in Ħamrun earlier this year.

Ahmed Mohamed Awale, a Somali national living in Paola, pleaded guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm to another man using an irregular weapon and breaching the public peace in Pjazza San Pawl on 14 April 2025.

The prosecution told the court that the incident occurred near a school at a time when children were leaving, adding to the seriousness of the disturbance.

Awale registered his admission during a sitting on 5 September and reconfirmed it in court on Thursday before Magistrate Monica Vella.

In its judgment, the court noted that while an early guilty plea does not automatically entitle an accused to a reduced punishment, it did take into account that the accused had admitted to the offence at an early stage of the proceedings and that the victim had since forgiven him and chosen not to testify against him.

Awale pleaded guilty to all charges and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for four years. 

He was also ordered to cover the expenses of court-appointed experts within six months, although their appointment was later revoked when their reports were deemed unnecessary.

The court explained clearly to the accused the obligations imposed by the sentence and the legal consequences if he failed to abide by them.

Lawyer Giulia Micallef Stafrace appeared for the accused. Magistrate Monica Vella presided over the case.