Youths charged with injuring police officers, defence blames Paceville bouncers

Two youths were today released on bail after pleading not guilty to assaulting and slightly injuring a police Sergeant in Paceville during the early hours of Sunday morning. 

In a statement the police said that the incident occurred on Sunday at around 2:15am, when allegedly, one of the accused, Redeemer Bonnici, 20, of Fgura, was being taken to a police car in St George’s Street, Paceville.

Three other youths – including 18-year-old Daniele Festari and his two cousins, who are both minors – arrived on the scene, and subsequently an argument ensued between the youths and the police officials.

Standing in court this afternoon, the two youths pleaded not guilty to assaulting and threatening police sergeant Stefan Mercieca, of slightly injuring him, and of breaching public peace.

In submissions for bail, prosecuting inspector Elton Taliana argued that bail should be withheld due to the “serious nature” of the crimes, and argued that police officials “are there to protect society, and not to get assaulted during their duty.”

 While acknowledging the serious nature of the crime, defence lawyer Roberto Montalto, representing Redeemer Bonnici, explained that the accused never aimed to get into an altercation with the police, and that the incident started between the youths and doormen at an establishment in Paceville.

“Redeemer Bonnici entered a club in Paceville and left his drink at the door – which for unknown reason did not go down well with one of the doormen. He was then assaulted by two bouncers before Daniele Festari and his two cousins interfered,” Montalto said.

Subsequently, the lawyer explained, a police officer wearing plain clothes arrived on the scene.

“The police was then mistaken for someone else, and was accidentally hit. The police were never the aim but conversely, the bouncers were. The incident was all due to a series of unfortunate events,” he said.

While insisting that bail should not be denied on account of the accused’s clean criminal record and age, the defence lawyer took exception at the doormen who started the fight, arguing that “whenever these have nothing to do, they start picking on youths.”

In her decree, Magistrate Marseann Farrugia upheld the defence’s plea and granted Daniele Festari and Redeemer Bonnici bail against a personal guarantee of €5,000.

Inspector Elton Taliana prosecuted while Lawyers Roberto Montalto and Simon Micallef Stafrace were legal counsel.