Five men tell police they tried stopping a man from mercilessly punching a woman
Kurt Amato was charged with grievously injuring a woman in San Ġwann
A 29-year-old Siġġiewi man pleaded not guilty to punching a woman and causing her grievous injuries.
Police inspector Audrey Micallef told the court she was informed by the Mtarfa domestic violence hub that a St Julian’s police officer had received a call about a fight between six individuals in San Ġwann.
The officers went on-site and found five individuals. Each one of the five separately told the police they had overheard a woman crying for help.
They said they had seen a man mercilessly punching the woman in her car. The bystanders intervened, trying to stop him.
During the altercation, the man put his hand inside the car in a bid to stop her from driving, and caused voluntary damage to the car.
Two of the five men identified the alleged aggressor, and the police arrested him.
The woman was eventually stopped on Mdina Road by officers conducting road checks who noticed that the woman had a bloodied face.
The woman’s injuries were certified as grievous, and the woman complained that she was not seeing properly from one eye.
Micallef ordered the man’s immediate arrest.
Kurt Amato, who told the court that he is unemployed, pleaded not guilty to grievously injuring the woman, causing her fear that violence would be used against her, threatening and insulting her, as well as damaging her vehicle.
He was further charged with breaching the public peace, being drunk in public and recidivism.
A protection order was issued in favour of the woman, whose name is banned by court.
The defence did not request bail at this stage.
Magistrate Astrid May Grima presided.
AG lawyer Miryea Mifsud prosecuted, assisted by police inspector Audrey Micallef.
Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Adreana Zammit assisted the accused.