Brothers fined for threatening police, magistrate in hearing on sibling's death

Two relatives of a man who died following a brawl at the Seabank Hotel were handed a suspended sentence and fined €7,500 each after they were found guilty by their own admission of threatening the police and a magistrate.

Horace and Nick Sciortino were arraigned earlier this month and charged with threatening magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech and two police officers during a tense court sitting, after a court expert confirmed their brother, Roderick, had died from a brain aneurysm and not from any injury incurred in the poolside fight.

The incident took place during a court sitting in which British national Liam Joseph Stacey was facing charges of causing grievous bodily harm to their brother, Roderick Sciortin, during a poolside brawl at DB Seabank Hotel in July.

Stacey denies the charges.

A medico-legal expert testified that Roderick Sciortino had sustained no injuries that caused his death during the brawl; he had died from a ruptured brain aneurysm unrelated to the incident.

Following this revelation, the court sitting got heated, and the two accused were kicked out of the courtroom when one of them said, “My brother is dead, not your son”. 

One of the men then re-entered the courtroom and said “F** justice” in Maltese. Besides the two men, Roderick Sciortino’s father, Paul, was fined for filming inside the courtroom.

Once he was also eventually kicked out, the three allegedly turned on Stacey, shouting “you killed Roderick, you pufta”.

On Thursday morning, magistrate Monica Vella handed the two men a two-year jail term suspended for four years. They were both fined €7,500 each. 

A restraining order was issued in favour of the magistrate and the police officers. Police inspectors Gabriel Micallef and Jeffrey Rizzo prosecuted.

Lawyer Amadeus Cachia, Ishmael Psaila and legal procurator Paul Camilleri assisted the accused.