A vicious brawl between two families in the corridors of the law courts had to be broken up by about eight police officers yesterday following a heated case.

Screaming could be heard coming from outside the courtroom of Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona as employees were winding down their half-day of work at about 12.30 p.m.

The shouting grew louder and police officers rushed out of the courtroom to see what was happening.

Two women and three men were in the midst of a fight, which seemed to collapse on to a bench as policemen swarmed around them.

Sources said the brawl started when one woman attacked another on emerging from the courtroom.

One of the women, pulled away from the fight, was heard shouting at the top of her voice, “I will kill her, I will kill her” before being taken to one side by her son.

At one point the woman’s son told her and another woman who was crying that they had better make a police report about the incident.

To which the woman in tears replied that they had better get tested for any diseases after coming into such close contact with their rivals.