Court clears bouncer of all charges

Stephen Ciangura,37 of Rabat was cleared of causing permanent injuries to a reveller during a party at Gianpula club in August 2009.

In a judgment handed by Magistrate Edwina Grima,  Ciangura - who manages Executive Security Services - was cleared on the basis that his accuser, Rene Brincat was inconsistent in his evidence.

Magistrate Grima said that the Court did not have the "moral certainty" that the accused was to be blamed for the incident.

From the evidence produced, a security guard at the club had noted Brincat urinating next to one of the bars, and intervened to stop him.

Brincat denied he was urinating, but simply putting his hand inside his pocket to extract money to pay for his drink.

Brincat alleged that the security guard pushed him, and he tried to defend himself by stretching his arm out, only to lose his footing and fall backwards.

The fall ignited a scuffle between the Brincat and the security guard, prompting other guards to intervene and pulled him out of the club.

He claimed to have been head-locked by one of the guards who kicked him with his knee in his jaw, breaking it.

During the proceedings, Brincat said that he did not know Ciangura, although he had seen him during other parties. He could not identify anyone of his alleged aggressors, saying that there was alot of confusion.

But the Court noted that Brincat was inconsistent in his evidence, because he returned another time, stating he knew  Ciangura, adding that he knew him well.

The inconsistencies continued in Brincat's friends testimony, and what he had told the police when he was recovered in hospital.

Ciangura, an AFM soldier had been suspended from work for more than a year following this incident.

Lawyers Emanuel Mallia and Arthur Azzopardi appeared for Ciangura.