18-year-old charged in Golden Bay fight denied bail
Lawyer says accused’s version “completely different” from alleged victim
An 18-year-old man was denied bail after being charged in connection with a brawl at Golden Bay that left a 21-year-old Paola man grievously injured.
Mohammed Haj, who was born in Syria and lives in Marsa, was arrested on Sunday at around 6pm, following an alleged fight involving around 10 people at the popular beach in Mellieħa.
Police officers and members of the Rapid Intervention Unit were called to the scene by the Malta Ranger Unit, where officers found a group of people attempting to flee by climbing the rocky side of the bay.
Haj was among those trying to escape, but was the only person who stopped when ordered to do so by police. As a result, he was the only person arrested at the scene.
He was charged with causing grievous injuries, threatening violence, assault and breaching the public peace.
Haj denied the charges, with his lawyer stating that the teenager's version of events differed significantly from that of the alleged victim.
“The version of events is completely different from that of the alleged victim,” defence lawyer Thomas Barbara Sant said.
The defence also noted that Haj himself sustained slight injuries, according to a medical report.
Requesting bail, Barbara Sant argued that the accused and the alleged victim had met on the day of the incident and had no prior contact. He added that Haj had no means of contacting the victim due to not knowing his address or phone number.
The defence stressed the need for CCTV footage to be reviewed and for other individuals involved in the fight to testify.
Bail was denied by the magistrate. The case is set to continue at the next sitting.
Following Sunday's fight, the rangers called for a stronger police presence at Golden Bay, citing regular fights at the popular beach.
Large groups of youths have been gathering at the bay, with some “causing problems regularly”, the rangers said. They added that volunteers had witnessed similar incidents over the past two Sundays.
The magistrate presiding is Elaine Rizzo
The prosecution is led by Inspector Warren Galea and Attorney General's lawyer Joseph Camilleri Azarov.
The accused was defended by Thomas Barbara Sant.