Two miss friend’s wedding after altercation with police

Two young men who visited Malta for a Mexican friend’s wedding missed the event after they were arrested in St Julians yesterday morning.

Mexican nationals Eric Arata and Fernando Armendariz Fernandez, both 21, were charged with disturbing the public peace and threatening the police in Triq Gorg Borg Olivier in St Julians.

The incident took place at around 6.30am when the police were called on site after they allegedly were involved in an altercation with someone in the street.

Although the defendants were said to be cooperative with the police, they insulted police officers on site.

It emerged in court that at one point there was a breakdown of communication with police when one of the defendants dropped his keys while being forced into the police car.  A minor scuffle ensued.

Defence lawyer Martin Fenech said the pair were not here to cause trouble.

“They were here to be present at a friend’s wedding, which they missed since they were arrested,” Fenech said.

Duty Magistrate Josette Demicoli sentenced them to a one-year conditional discharge and fined them €800 each.

Inspector Matthew Spagnol prosecuted.