Father of 11 gets conditional discharge over 1997 stabbing

Philip D’Amato was today conditionally discharged, 17 years after being charged with stabbing his former wife’s lover, back in 1997.

The incident happened on 12 May 1997, when the couple were going through separation proceedings. Suspecting that his estranged wife was having an extramarital relation, at 9am of the fateful day the accused went to a grocer’s shop opposite the victim’s residence in Rabat and asked the shopkeeper if he had ever seen his wife. The grocer informed D’Amato that his wife was regularly seen at the residence of Egyptian national Memdouh Mohammed El Sadani.

D’Amato went to the man’s residence and broke down the door and allegedly stabbed the Egyptian in his face, neck and chest. In the residence the accused saw another woman, later identified as Samira Abid, who rushed to aid the victim and called an ambulance. El Sadani was taken to hospital where his condition was certified as grievous but not critical.

D’Amato was arraigned in 1997 and charged with attempted serious injury, illegal possession of a knife and relapsing.

The accused argued that upon entering the victim’s house, the Egyptian assaulted him with a knife. He also claimed that at first he thought the woman on the bed was his wife. However at a later stage he told investigators, “had I found my wife inside the residence I do not know what I would have done.”

Amongst the case witnesses, the court heard the evidence given by the accused’s daughter Valentina. “I have been raised by my father and have no idea what’s become of my mother. I never met her since the incident and barely recall her – mum was not there for my Holy Communion, but dad and his partner were. Back in 1997 I had another brother, but since then my father met another woman and now we are a family of 11 siblings,” she told the court.

On 10 October 2003, Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna put off the case for judgement. However the magistrate retired and it was only on 14 June 2013 that the case was re-scheduled.

In today’s judgement, Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras said violence could never be condoned and the accused was indeed responsible for seriously injuring the Egyptian man. “But, considering the years that passed since the incident, which delays were not the responsibility of the accused, the court would be inconsiderate to apply an effective jail term.”

Magistrate Galea Sciberras found Philip D’Amato guilty of causing serious injury and illegal possession of a knife and handed him a three-year conditional discharge.

Lawyer Joe Giglio appeared for D’Amato.