A man who hit a woman with a beer bottle in a Paceville club in 2006 has been handed a suspended jail term.
Gordon Farrugia, 43, grievously injured the then-24-year old woman who was having a drink with friends.
Both the victim and the accused gave conflicting versions of the events which led to the woman suffering facial injuries in the dance-floor brawl.
The court heard that the woman had been having a drink at the bar when she was jostled and pushed by two women who were dancing close by.
A verbal exchange rapidly became a brawl as the two dancers allegedly turned upon the victim, hitting her and tugging at her hair.
It was then that a man, later identified as Mr Farrugia, suddenly showed up and smashed the beer bottle straight in the victim’s face.
A doctor testified that the injuries were grievous, describing various lacerations to the woman’s forehead and slight fractures to her nasal bones.
The “clean” cuts were caused by a cutting object, such as “sharp glass,” the doctor had reported, corroborating the victim’s version of events.
Accused says he wasn't even there
The accused denied any involvement in the brawl.
“I wasn’t even there and I don’t know her [the victim]. I had nothing to do with it,” he insisted, his account supported by a number of his friends who had been present at the time.
One of the women, who had started off the argument with the victim, claimed that matters had been the other way around since she had been hit in the face with a drinks glass by the alleged victim.
The alleged victim “had not been touched by anyone at any moment,” she claimed.
Another eyewitness recalled how bouncers had intervened to break up the fight between the female clubbers.
However the court, presided over by Magistrate Ian Farrugia, declared that the evidence put forward proved the prosecution’s case.
Mr Farrugia was declared guilty of having grievously injured the victim without intent to kill or endanger her life.
He was sentenced to an 18-month jail term suspended for three years.
Inspector Nikolai Sant prosecuted.