A sports commentator for Smash TV who excoriated a referee for his decisions during a match, was ordered, with his managerial editor, to pay €3,000 in damages for slander, with the court  describing him as incompetent.

On 29 March, 2010, Josef Galdez was commentating the football game between Sliema Wanderers and Qormi FC, controlled by Christopher Lautier. During the second-half of the game, the commentator for Smash TV started criticising  the referee's decisions. When the referee signalled a penalty in favour of Qormi, Galdez called him, "il-figolla tas-sena" (the Easter pastry of the year).

Similar comments were passed throughout the second half, with Galdez saying, "the best Easter gift was given by Lautier", "The game is refereed in a shameful manner",  "another gross mistake by Lautier".

The sports commentator had continued his slander, "the referee is making a huge mess, and I take full responsibility for my comments", "one mess after another by the referee (pudina wara l-ohra)", and, "Lautier should be given the Order of Merit for today's mess". The game ended 4-0 for Qormi FC.

Taking offence at the comments, Christopher Lautier sued for defamation.

In his defence, Galdez claimed the comments were based on his own opinion, which should be seen as fair comments relating to valued judgments of a sports game. Magistrate Francesco Depasquale commented that one cannot but condemn the lack of professionalism by the commentators, in the way they discussed the game. "The way the game was discussed does no honour to the 22 players in the pitch," the court said.

"Comments passed by Galdez were personal insults aimed at ridiculing the referee with the sports community and violating his right to a private life. This is defamatory and libellous and simply shows the incompetence of the commentator at discussing a game," the magistrate said.

Meanwhile, the station's managerial editor took no action to stop the incessant abuse by Galdez. "This places him at par with the commentator, and his actions make him equally guilty of libel", the court said.

Jesmar Baldachino, managerial editor of Smash TV at the time, together with sports commentator Josef Galdez were ordered to pay Lautier the sum of €3,000. Renato Vella, who assisted Galdez in discussing the game, was acquitted of the same charges, after the court found that his comments were not libellous.