A man charged on Wednesday with seriously injuring a co-national during an altercation at a St Paul's Bay garage has claimed that he was only defending himself from an unprovoked attack. 

Syrian national Simar Halil Hannan, 26, who lives in Mosta, was charged with grievously injuring 29-year-old Lamir Mohammad at a garage in Triq il-Kappar at 10pm on January 26. Hannan was on the run for a number of days until he turned up at the police station accompanied by his lawyer. 

Defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi told Magistrate Rachel Montebello that the two men both worked in aluminium and were competitors. They met at a garage in St Paul's Bay where an altercation erupted and Mohammad got injured when the two came to blows.

Although Mohammad claimed it was a racial or religious attack, it was nothing of the sort and the truth will emerge in court, he said, adding that all witnesses involved in the case had registered their testimonies before court-appointed experts. 

Hannan was also charged with insulting Mohammad, annoying and provoking him and attempting to use force against him. 

Magistrate Montebello granted him bail against a €400 deposit and a €2,000 personal guarantee, ordering him to sign the bail book three times a week. The court also issued a protection order in favour of the victim. 

Police Inspector Stacy Attard prosecuted. Lawyer Alfred Abela also represented the accused.