Updated | Paceville bouncer denies savage beating charges

A 21-year-old bouncer was charged in court on Thursday in connection to a savage beating in Paceville during New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Riad Gragjevi appeared in court in front of Magistrate Joe Mifsud and pleaded not guilty to grievously injuring Idriss Ahmed Adem using improper arms. The assault was caught on camera and published by Lovin Malta. 

In a statement prior to the court proceedings, police said that the young Albanian man was arrested at the airport and that he’s going to be arraigned on charges including the use of an unregistered weapon and causing grievous harm to another person.

Inspector Brian Xuereb told the court that he was working a night shift on New Year's Eve when he received note that a person was lying unconscious in St George's Road in Paceville. 

When the inspector arrived on site, an ambulance was called and the victim was taken to Mater Dei Hospital with grievous injuries. 

Xuereb said that, earlier in the evening, a security guard filed a police report saying that he had been injured with a broken botte. From this, police determined that the report was filed about the victim.

Lawyer Shazoo Ghaznavi, appearing for Gragjevi, told the court that his client is pleading not guilty to the charges. He said his client was a victim, who was stabbed by a broken bottle, with two other bottles thrown at him.

Ghaznavi also said his client was not trying to abscond at the airport, but rather bought his flight tickets three weeks prior.

Footage captured by a bystander shows five men, with one of them pulling out a retractable baton and kicking a man to the ground. The men are wearing all black, with some wearing vests with ‘crowd control’ written on them.

Toward the end of the video, the man is seen lying face-down on the pavement motionless.

Lawyers Jessica Formosa and Charlon Gouder also appeared for the accused.