Man beaten up with wooden and metal weaopons

Former Sea Cadet Justin Aquilina, 18 of Marsa recounted how at 11:20pm, on 2 October a Palestinian national and a Somali man whom he neither knew nor spoke to bet him with a wooden beam and a metal bar.

"I arrived at the Valletta Terminus with a friend after a football game in Zebbug. One of the accused kept staring at me and before I knew it he flew at me punching me to a pulp. A Libyan man tried to help me but the other accused joined in  the brawl. The two accused hit me with a wooden beam and a metal bar", the youth told the court.

Magistrate Edwina Grima was presiding the compilation of evidence against 26-year-old, Palestinian national Ahmed Abdalla Yakoup,  and  Omar Osman, 34, of Somalia.. The two are accused of assaulting and injuring  the Maltese youth and Libyan national Essalami Hasheem, and trying to steal from them.

During the brawl, Aquilina managed to call the police. When the two foreigners realised this they continued to hit the youth in his face and on his back. When Aquilina's face was covered in blood and he could barely move the assailants fled. When the police arrived on the scene, they took the victim to the Floriana Health Centre. The Police also found the Libyan lying on the street near the War Memorial. Aquilina was referred to Mater Dei due to injuries in his eye. He was kept under observation for two days and still attend follow up due to issues with his eyesight.

Cross examined by defence lawyer  Simon Micallef Stafrace, the witness reiterated he has many dark skinned friends and cannot be described as a racist. "I was attacked for no reason at all. i neither knew nor ever spoke to my aggressors", the youth said.

Following Aquilina's evidence, Magistrate Edwina Grima decreed there is enough evidence to place Palestinian national Ahmed Abdalla Yakoup  and  Somali Omar Osman, under a bill of indictment.

While serving in the Malta Sea Cadets, the youth and his brother Nicolas had attended training with the British Royal Marines and also served on the Sea Cadets boats TS Vigilant and TS Liveryman.