Six brothers landed in court on Friday, in the wake the umpteenth violent episode that broke out between members of two warring Cospicua families.

Kurt David Azzopardi, 18, Nazzareno Dalli, 38, Redeemer Abdilla, 21, Redent Cassar, 25, Tristan Cassar, 23 and a 15-year old schoolboy, pleaded not guilty to their involvement in the violent clash that took place at their hometown on Wednesday. 

Prosecuting Inspector Eman Hayman said that relations between the two families were a cause of constant trouble, with tensions sometimes bubbling over, leading to violent clashes. 

On Wednesday, hours after another member of the same family was arraigned and remanded in custody for a repeated breach of bail conditions, his 15-year old relative was involved in a violent argument with three members of the rival family.

His lawyer, Mario Mifsud, explained that the teenager had allegedly been hit with a knuckleduster and had luckily escaped more severe injuries. 

The incident sparked off more violence when other relatives of the 15-year-old allegedly decided to face their rivals, turning up outside their home “in a carcade.”

The violence that followed landed all six brothers in court, accompanied by numerous other relatives who filled up the court room, anxiously following the proceedings. 

All brothers pleaded not guilty to ganging up to commit an offence, voluntary damage to third party property, slightly injuring the alleged victims, insulting and threatening them as well as breaching the peace. 

All, except for the minor, were separately charged with breaching previous bail conditions. 

When making submissions on bail, lawyer Arthur Azzopardi requested the court to order the retrieval of CCTV footage from four different areas where the incidents took place.

Dr Mifsud, assisting the minor, added that the boy had been granted police bail on Thursday and had no convictions on his record. “I believe he has learnt his lesson. I’d rather he pursued his education.”

The court, presided over by magistrate Doreen Clarke, granted bail to the minor against a personal guarantee of €1,000, an order to sign the bail book twice a week and under strict conditions of not approaching the alleged victims or other witnesses in any manner. 

His brothers were remanded in custody.