A man and a woman who admitted to having threatened and assaulted blogger Manuel Delia’s wife during an incident in Valletta last December were placed under protection orders on Tuesday.
Paul Cassar, 59, and Helen Cutajar, 58, were accused of threatening and insulting Clemence Dujardin on December 13.
Mr Cassar was also separately accused of assault and criminal damage, having smashed Ms Dujardin’s mobile phone as she filmed the unprovoked attack.
The victim’s husband, Manuel Delia, had blogged about the assault, explaining how his wife had been out Christmas shopping in Valletta when she stopped to have a chat with some activists in front of the makeshift memorial to assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Upon hearing a commotion and saw a small group of people shouting and swearing at activists who were laying flowers and candles at the foot of the memorial.
When she tried to film the incident, she ended up having her phone knocked out of her hands. She was then punched by a man, later identified as Mr Cassar.
Magistrate Joe Mifsud said people had a right to express themselves without getting hurt.
“You should never have gotten to this stage,” he told the guilty pair.
“They have a right to express themselves as do you. That is the beauty of our country - that we don’t agree but we get along.”
As the two admitted to the charges, the court ordered that any issue of damages be settled before proceeding to deliver judgment.
Ms Cutajar was handed a reprimand and admonition, whilst Mr Cassar was conditionally discharged.
Moreover, the court placed the two under a Protection Order in favour of Mr Delia and his wife, both present in the courtroom.
After delivery of judgment, the magistrate urged the parties to shake hands.
However, parte civile lawyer Andrew Borg Cardona, declared that at that stage “they would exchange greetings and stop there today,” as the parties silently filed out of the courtroom.
Inspector Priscilla Caruana Lee prosecuted. Lawyer Dustin Camilleri was defence counsel.
Lawyers Karol Aquilina and Jason Azzopardi were also parte civile.