Night club owner guilty of resisting police

Night club owner Frankie Grima was yesterday conditionally discharged and fined €50 for pushing a police superintendent in an argument over smoking in his club.

Mr Grima, 52, from St Julians was found guilty of violently resisting Police Superintendent Stephen Gatt at Plush Bar, which he owns, on March 14 at about 1 a.m.

The officer had tried to stop a patron from smoking when Mr Grima intervened and pushed him, Police Inspector Malcolm Bondin testified. Defence lawyer Gianella Caruana Curran told the court her client had in fact apologised to the officer and the apology was accepted.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona took this into consideration before handing down a conditional discharge for nine months and imposing a fine. Police Inspector Nikolai Sant also prosecuted. Lawyer Joseph Giglio also appeared for Mr Grima.

In 1998, Mr Grima was acquitted of murdering Diego Farrugia who formed part of a gang that had repeatedly tried to extort money out of catering establishments in Paceville. The incident took place six years earlier, when the gang went to Bamboo Bar, owned by Mr Grima. A big fight ensued and Mr Grima fired a number of shots.