A violent fight that broke out onboard a fishing boat some 30 miles out at sea has landed five men in court, with one of them nursing a finger allegedly badly severed in the struggle.
Jonathan Caruana and his brother Adrian, two Marsaxlokk fishermen and owners of the vessel, were arrested and arraigned over the fight that broke out on Tuesday with three Egyptian nationals who were also prosecuted over their alleged involvement in the incident.
The two Maltese fishermen, aged 33 and 47, pleaded not guilty to attacking the other three, threatening and insulting them, possessing a knife without the necessary police licence as well as unlicensed possession of a Benelli-type firearm.
A butcher’s assistant who would drop off meat products at his own home midway through a delivery run was given a suspended sentence after the theft was proven on three occasions.
Mark Anthony Borg was targeted by criminal prosecution over allegations dating back to 2012 when suspected foul play surfaced following a trading profit and loss exercise undertaken by the store accountant.
Some meat stocks were unaccounted for and the inconsistency appeared to be quite considerable.
Meat products would be ferried from one store at Santa Venera to another at St Julian’s by the assistant who recorded the stock necessary, stacked the boxes in the van and transported the products from one outlet to another.