Updated 2.08pm

Two men who brawled in Qawra on Sunday evening have been charged with injuring each other and damaging a parked car. 

Desmond Sylvester, 24, and Stanley Ebende, 27, both Nigerian, pleaded not guilty to criminal charges when they were arraigned. 

Sylvester suffered extensive, but not critical injuries during the Sunday fight, which occurred sometime between 6pm and 8pm. 

Photos posted on social media on Sunday showed him lying on the ground on Annetto Caruana Street in a pool of blood.

Ebende suffered injuries to the forehead, hand and left shoulder. His injuries were medically classified as slight. 

Sylvester, who on Tuesday turned up in court with a bandaged forearm, stitching on his face and neck and wearing slippers, required surgery.

His legal aid lawyer, Martin Fenech, said that he was actually the victim in this case.

He argued that the other man was the real aggressor and this was a case of attempted murder. Sylvester claimed that the other man had inflicted injuries upon himself to make it seem that he was attacked, Fenech added. 

Sylvester, who was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm, involuntary damage to a Peugeot vehicle, insults and threats, and wilful breach of public peace.

Ebende, who was arraigned immediately after him, also pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

Both men requested bail but prosecutors objected, arguing the men had few ties to Malta and no jobs. 

The court, presided over by Magistrate Abigail Critien, turned down both men's bail request, noting the nature of the offences and saying it could not be assured that the men would remain in Malta if allowed out of custody.

As his arraignment reached an end, Ebende insisted that he wanted his mobile phone back as he needed it to contact his family. His lawyer explained that prison authorities would help with that.

Sylvester was represented by legal aid lawyer Martin Fenech while Ebende was represented by legal aid lawyer Mattia Felice. 

Inspectors Clayton Camilleri and Andrew Agius Bonello prosecuted.