Two bouncers charged with assaulting, injuring tourists

Two bouncers have been granted bail after pleading not guilty to assaulting and injuring two French men and two Scottish women during an altercation on Wednesday at Havana Club, Paceville.

Robert Azzopardi, 20, of St Paul’s Bay, and Clifford Bugeja, 18, of Birzebbugia, also denied breaching public peace, being unlicensed security officers, and slightly injuring Frenchman Brahim Benatsou.

Two men – Brahmin Benatsou and Rafik Beztout – were hospitalised, and certified to be suffering from slight injuries with Brahim suffering visible injuries to his face.

The alleged altercation took place during the early hours of Wednesday morning between 12:30 and 1:30am at Havana Club, Paceville.

The two men, as well as their Scottish friends - Kashama Elder and Louise Weddel – told the court that they went to Havana club in Paceville when two South African men approached them to dance.

“Despite being disinterested, one of the South African men persevered and subsequently got into a scuffle with Brahim. There was some pushing and shoving, and then it got all crazy when the bouncers and viciously assaulted him [Benatsou],” Louise Weddel told the court.

Testifying, Weddel, who along her Scottish counterpart was visiting Malta for the first time, identified Azzopardi as the man who punched and pulled down Benatsou.

Taking the witness stand, Benatsou – who was visibly injured with a severe black eye as well as injuries to his left eye, nose and neck – told the court that after the scuffle ensued, there were between five and seven bouncers on top of him.

“I told them that I was not dangerous. One of the bouncers took me by my hand, another grabbed my neck and put me on the floor.”

 “A bouncer with a small beard punched me in my left eye, Azzopardi punched me on the right,” Benatsou said. At this point Azzopardi was seen shaking his head at the allegations.

On his part, Beztout told the court that Azzopardi had put a choke hold on him, before punching his friend. Moreover, he seconded Benatso’s claim in saying that a third man – a bouncer identified simply by his small beard – had punched Benatsou in the face.

Cross-examined by defence lawyers Josette Sultana and Ann Marie Mangion, Beztout told the court that he did not see Clifford Bugeja punch or kick his friend, but he only pulled him.

In her testimony, Kashama Elder identified Azzopardi as having Rafik by the neck, but admitted that she did not see Bugeja involved. Cross-examined by the defence, Elder told the court that “it was nothing but an escort,” insisting that during her 10 years working in bars she had never such an “escort” take place.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Jonathan Cassar presented CCTV footage of the premises, footage that will be viewed during the next sitting. In his testimony, Cassar told that upon arriving at Havana, he ordered eight bouncers to go outside the premises.

“At this point, all the victims – except Kashama Elder – identified Clifford Bugeja as being the perpetrator, Weddel also pointed at Azzopardi, while Brahim and Rafik identified the accused at the police station when presented with photos,” he said.

Moreover, during the cross-examination of the witnesses, the defence counsel pointed out that the premises was dark, making it difficult to identify the alleged perpetrators amongst eight bouncers. The witnesses acknowledged that the club was dark, and that the bouncers were all wearing similar clothing, had similar hairstyles, as well as similar heights.

In submissions on bail, the defence held that the accused insisted that the men were first-time offenders and had a clean criminal record. Magistrate Aaron Bugeja granted the men bail against a personal guarantee of €1,000.

Lawyers Josette Sultana and Ann Marie Mangion while Inspector Trevor Micallef led the prosecution.