Court hears what led to fight between officer and a foreigner

A magistrate yesterday started hearing evidence against a police sergeant charged with seriously injuring a Lebanese man when he bit off part of his ear during a fight in Marsascala last month.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano heard Police Inspector Anthony Cassar explain how preliminary investigations into the fight showed that both the sergeant and the Lebanese man had been injured.

"The Lebanese man was seriously injured in the ear while the sergeant suffered injuries on the forehead, nose, neck, knees and lower back," the inspector said.

The 43-year-old sergeant, whose name cannot be published by court order, is pleading not guilty to seriously injuring Lebanese Zouhair Ahmad Al Ghazal.

During yesterday's sitting, Inspector Cassar said that Al Ghazal had explained that he had lived in Malta for 10 years and had initially applied for refugee status but then married a Maltese woman for convenience.

He lived with another woman for some time and when they broke up he asked her for his money back.

The woman filed a police report and since then she and the sergeant had an affair. The sergeant then started sending threatening text messages which Al Ghazal showed to his lawyer.

On the day of the incident Al Ghazal saw the sergeant's wife pass by, approached her and told her that her husband was having an affair with his (Al Ghazal's) former girlfriend. He also told her he had photographs to prove it.

When Inspector Cassar asked Al Ghazal for the pictures he said they turned out to be defective once developed.

Al Ghazal went on to tell the inspector that after speaking to the sergeant's wife he went to have a kebab and suddenly the sergeant, who was in civilian clothes, went up to him and started beating him. He explained that he held the sergeant in a head lock and punched him in the head and face to defend himself. While he was in that position the sergeant bit his ear violently.

Some time after the fight the sergeant threatened him with his service baton.

Inspector Cassar also spoke to the woman who said that she had filed a police report against Al Ghazal because when they broke up he threatened her on several occasions. She denied having an affair with the sergeant.

The sergeant explained that he had gone up to Al Ghazal while he was eating kebab in Marsascala and told him to leave him and his family in peace. Al Ghazal suddenly lifted the table and a fight broke out. The sergeant denied biting him or threatening him with his service baton and said he had acted in self defence.

The case continues.

Dr Joseph Giglio appeared for the sergeant.

Dr Chris Cardona appeared for Al Ghazal.