A youth charged with grievously harming a drunk man who was allegedly harassing him and his friends outside a Rabat pastizzi shop, collapsed in court when he was denied bail on Monday. 

The 21-year-old had just pleaded not guilty to grievously injuring the drunk man during an argument in a Rabat car park on Saturday.

Stevie Pisani, a Cospicua resident, was escorted to court and charged with grievously injuring the alleged victim, placing his life in manifest danger, disturbing the repose of inhabitants and causing a disturbance. 

The incident took place at around 10.30pm inside the parking area known as l-Għalqa ta’ Kola, close to St Paul’s Street. Some half an hour later, police were alerted to the presence of a man who was found unconscious lying on the ground inside the car park. 

The man, a 56-year-old Attard resident, had allegedly been involved in an argument with a group of youths when he fell and suffered serious injuries.

Police investigations based on CCTV footage from the incident scene as well as other evidence led to the identification of Pisani as one of those youths. 

During his arraignment on Monday, the youth appeared to be shaken and pale. 

The court was told that the alleged victim was drunk at the time and appeared to have been pestering the group of friends who were sitting on a bench eating pastizzi. 

The accused allegedly pushed him, causing him to topple over. 

The youth pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

A request for bail was objected to in view of the gravity of the offence and the fact that civilian witnesses were still to testify. 

Defence lawyer Alfred Abela argued that the alleged victim had first urinated in the public square and then ambled over to the youths, trying to help himself to their pastizzi. 

The accused told the intruder to go away, but the man, who appeared to be drunk, approached the youth.

That was when the accused allegedly shoved the stranger. 

The parking lot where the man was found unconscious on the ground. Photo: Malta Police Force

However, prosecuting Inspector Godwin Scerri rebutted that CCTV footage did not quite match the accused’s version. 

Although the victim was indeed drunk, it was the accused who stood up and walked towards the man, pushing him and causing him to fall.

The fall resulted in a head injury that landed the victim in intensive care, explained the prosecutor, adding that the accused also had a cannabis addiction. 

The defence insisted that the alleged victim was harassing the accused and his friends when the incident occurred and also highlighted the fact that the youth had a clean criminal record.

However, after hearing submissions by both parties, the court, presided over by Magistrate Nadine Lia, turned down the request in view of the fact that the alleged victim and other civilians were still to testify. 

The court also upheld the prosecution’s request for a Protection Order in favour of the victim.

The decision denying him bail was met with shock and tears by the accused who, shortly after being escorted out of the courtroom, fainted and needed medical attention.

Inspector Godwin Scerri prosecuted. Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene’ Darmanin were defence counsel.