Man who injured five in family brawl claims self-defence

A 43-year-old Syrian man, who is accused of injuring five of his family members with an iron bar and a knife during a domestic dispute on Monday is claiming to have been acting in self-defence.

Pembroke resident Guan Kandal appeared before magistrate Audrey Demicoli this morning, facing a plethora of charges, which included grievously injuring and causing facial disfigurement to 65-year old Hagi Ali Hassan in the affray.

Kandal was also accused of slightly injuring his own son with a knife during the same altercation, attacking and threatening to kill his wife as well as slightly injuring Hassan's wife and her brother with the iron bar.

Inspector Robert Vella told magistrate Audrey Demicoli how police had responded to a call by the man's wife on 12 September. Officers arriving at the Pieta residence had reported seeing a lot of blood at the scene, the inspector said. They were told that the accused had hit his 65-year-old father-in-law in the face with an iron bar, Inspector Vella reported, causing injuries which eventually required surgery.

The accused, speaking in the Kurdish language, pleaded not guilty. Lawyer Jason Grima made a request for bail, which was immediately opposed by the prosecution.

Inspector Vella explained that his investigations had revealed that the incident had started when the accused had argued with his wife at her home in Pieta’. The argument had escalated to the point where the accused lashed out at his wife with the iron bar, smashing fridges and other items. He went straight to the in-laws’ house and hit his mother-in-law in the eyes, went downstairs and left for the family’s shop where he hit his father-in-law with the metal rod. The accused then allegedly produced a knife, striking his son.

The accused had subsequently turned himself in to the police, seeking medical treatment for the superficial injuries he had suffered during his rampage.

Inspector Vella objected to bail on the grounds of the serious nature of the offence and the fact that the man had faced similar charges a few years ago, also following an argument with his wife. “This person [the wife] should also be taken into consideration,” he said.

“This is a case of legitimate self-defence,” argued Kandal's lawyer. “It is true that he had an argument with his wife, but it was the wife who had called her relatives to come and attack him.”

The accused has previous convictions, argued the lawyer, but family arguments were always going to happen, and were not grounds to deny bail. The accused had family ties to Malta and owned property here. “The only problem he has is with his wife. These problems will be there tomorrow and the day after, there too. This doesn’t mean he can never be granted bail.”

However the court, after noting the man’s criminal record, denied bail for the reasons given by the prosecution.

A protection order was nonetheless issued in favour of the wife, her parents and children. The acts of the case were remitted to the registrar of courts to be assigned to a magistrate according to law.