Cleared of seriously injuring his father

A young man was yesterday cleared of seriously injuring his father at the law courts two years ago after a magistrate ruled that the young man had acted in his mother's defence.

Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona cleared Jason Falzon, 23, of Birzebbuga of injuring his father Anthony on September 20, 2002 at about 10.45 a.m.

The magistrate noted that on that day there was the compilation of evidence against Falzon's father, who was charged with trying to kill his wife, Maria Lourdes, when he shot her outside Shopwise Supermarket, in Qormi, on April 5, 2002. When the court sitting was over and the parties concerned walked out of the court room, Falzon's father assaulted his wife and the son intervened to defend his mother.

The magistrate noted that Falzon's intervention was triggered by an actual need and for this reason he was cleared of the charge.

On November 26 last year, Falzon's father was jailed for 15 years for the attempted murder after jurors returned a 7-2 guilty verdict for what a judge had termed "one of the most serious cases in the spectrum of domestic crimes".

Police Superintendent Paul Camilleri and Inspector Pierre Micallef Grimaud prosecuted.

Dr Joseph Giglio appeared for Falzon.