Argument over missing tips leads to flying chair and brandished meat cleaver

A restaurant dishwasher has been conditionally discharged after he admitted to slightly injuring the chef when he threw a chair at him, threatening him with a meat cleaver

A restaurant dishwasher has been conditionally discharged after he admitted to slightly injuring the establishment's chef in an argument over tips last night.

Alfred Mouldi, 36, from Valletta, appeared before magistrate Gabriella Vella this morning, charged with slightly injuring the chef, breaching the peace, threatening and attacking him at a restaurant in Valletta. Mouldi was also accused of relapsing.

Prosecuting police inspector Priscilla Caruana Lee explained to the court that at around 6:30pm yesterday, the men had argued after Mouldi was caught on CCTV helping himself to the tip jar, at which point the dishwasher became irate, throwing a chair at the chef and threatening him with a meat cleaver. The restaurant's patrons had to be ushered outside as the noisy altercation took place.

The accused pleaded guilty as charged, this morning.

Caruana Lee said the incident could have had a far bloodier outcome had a third person not intervened to stop the fight. “This was an incident that escalated. However the accused collaborated with the police. He has a clean police conduct, bar some minor VAT offences,” she said.

In view of his admission, the accused was found guilty. The court handed the man a conditional discharge for 1 year, saying that the circumstances of the case did not merit a
 suspended sentence. It also imposed a restraining order in favour the chef. 
Mouldi was warned that were he to be convicted of any offence in the period of that year, he would be punished for both that offence and this one.

Lawyer Christopher Chircop appeared for the accused.