Alleged drug kingpin Jordan Azzopardi has been given a seven-month jail term for a 2015 assault that left a man grievously injured.
The man was hunted down, beaten up in public and had his clothes ripped apart before he finally managed to get away, bruised and battered, before he could be dragged into Azzopardi’s car.
Azzopardi – who is currently out on bail while he awaits trial for separate charges related running a large-scale drug trafficking operation, money laundering and counterfeit cash – initially pleaded not guilty to charges.
He stuck to that not guilty plea for 33 court sittings, but five years after he was first arraigned in the case, he changed his plea and registered an admission.
This was not “a simple fight between friends which escalated, but a premeditated and planned attack,” observed Magistrate Nadine Lia when delivering judgment upon Azzopardi’s own admission.
It noted that a great deal of work and expenses had been undertaken since the arraignment. Moreover, through all that time Azzopardi had never shown remorse nor apologized to the victims.
Nor was any documentary evidence produced to shed light upon Azzopardi’s psychiatric health at the time of the violent incident.
Turning to the aggression itself, the court noted that the victim had suffered various fractures and needed hospital treatment for long-lasting injuries.
“There is no place for such behaviour in society,” stated Magistrate Lia, turning down the parties’ suggestion for a suspended sentence as punishment.
It was not enough to take into account the reformative aspect of punishment but the court had to strike a balance between the gravity of the case and the victim’s interests as well as those of society in general.
The court had to ensure that there would be no repetition even in light of the circumstances of the case and the fact that Azzopardi was a recidivist, said the magistrate.
Applying the law that was in force at the time of the offence, the court condemned the accused to a seven-month jail term.
No compensation could be meted out to the victim since the amount of damages suffered had not been clearly indicated.
Superintendent Trevor Micallef prosecuted.