Father and son, prosecuted for assaulting Enemalta officials, face fresh assault charges

The father and son who were recently arraigned for allegedly assaulting Enemalta officials during a surprise inspection returned to the dock today accused of being involved in a brawl during the Hamrun feast celebrations last August. 

Magistrate Doreen Clarke Police heard Inspector Sarah Magri accuse 49-year-old Carmel Salerno and his son Fabrizio, 24, of participating in a brawl outside the Godfather Bar in Hamrun in which four men were injured.

The pair were charged with seriously injuring Charlton Agius and slightly injuring Ian Zammit and Wayne Falzon. Carmel Salerno was also changed with attempted grievous bodily harm of Ian Zammit and Darren Zammit and with being in possession of an unlicenced penknife during the commission of an offence.

The court had been told how a few days prior, an argument about a Facebook post took place between Fabrizio Salerno's partner, Raisa Sammut, and Falzon's girlfriend, Denise Schembri. Schembri’s sister is dating Ian Zammit. 

Ian Zammit testified how Sammut started to insult him while he was standing outside the Godfather Bar, after which he was attacked by the two Salernos, along with several others. He claimed that Carmel Salerno had stabbed him four times in his lower abdomen and once in his thigh. 

He recalled the hospital doctor telling him, while he was being treated, to consider himself lucky that he was overweight. Had he been thinner, the doctor said, his vital organs would have been punctured. 

The court was then told how Carmel Salerno had stabbed Darren Zammit in the head. Zammit testified that was then struck by a passing car as he had ended up in the middle of the road while defending himself. 

Wayne Falzon recounted how he and his girlfriend were outside the bar when the father and son pair attacked him. A €1500 gold chain was allegedly torn from his neck during the attack. 

Denise Schembri also testified to seeing Carmel Salerno waving a penknife around. Her sister Louisa told the court, "at least 10 people" were involved the brawl. "All I saw was lots of blood," said the woman.

Lawyers David Camilleri and Joseph Gatt appeared for the defendant while lawyer David Gatt appeared in parte civile for the alleged victims.