The relatives of the partner of the young man being accused of assaulting two police officers today told the court that one of the police officers had 'proudly admitted' to them that he had assaulted the 24-year-old.

Jean-Paul Aquilina is pleading not guilty to assaulting two police officers, not obeying orders and dangerous driving.

In turn, the two police officers, Mark Tonna and David Camilleri, are being charged with using excessive force.  The two were charged following an investigation ordered by the police commissioner.

The two cases were heard after each other this morning.

Taking the stand, Jason Vassallo, the father of Jean-Paul’s partner, Jasione, explained that when he got on scene, after receiving a phone call from his daughter, he asked which police officer had injured the young man. “At that point, PC David Camilleri stepped forward and told me it was him, and that he didn’t mind admitting it,” he said. 

His wife and daughter also told Magistrate Carol Peralta they had heard the officer admitting to assaulting Mr Aquilina. “Somehow he boasted about it,” the partner’s 15-year-old sister added.

 

The accused testifies

Taking the stand, Mr Aquilina said he was at a BBQ with his partner's relatives at their stables in Mgarr, explaining that the event started at around 9 and he left the venue at around one in the morning with his partner. Asked whether he had consumed any alcoholic drinks, he replied he had not.

He said that while he was driving along the Mgarr bypass, his phone rang and he proceeded to pick it up.  He did not however, because he saw the police car approaching.  A screenshot presented in court shows a missed call from his elder sister.

The accused then pulled to the side and PC Camilleri, asked why he was swerving. The driver replied that he had not been speeding.

At that point, a friend who had attended the BBQ was driving along and pulled over to see what was going on. The police asked the friend to move away or he would be fined.

Meanwhile, the second officer, PC Tonna, asked Mr Aquilina for his ID number.

"I gave the police officer my ID number and turned towards my car. It was then that he [PC Camilleri] grabbed my neck from behind and punched me in the eye. He then pushed me on the floor and PC Tonna held me down on the side and locked my arms from behind, while PC Camilleri kicked me on the side.  They then held me up and shoved me aggressively on the car.  As a consequence the car's side mirror broke. On the pavement I was again pushed in the ground. The beatings only stopped once another police car approached," he said.

He explained that two other police officers arrived on scene and handcuffed him, noting that these two were not in any way aggressive. 

Before being taken into lock-up, the young man was taken to hospital, where doctors informed him that he would require minor surgery in his nose.

 

The accused insists he never assaulted the police officers 

 

During cross-examination by the prosecution, the accused insisted that he never attempted to assault the officer. "At no time did I assault or attempted to assault the officials. My arms were locked behind, so at no point could I have done so," he stressed.

Asked whether he had previous brushes with the law, he admitted to being caught driving without a licence when he was sixteen.

The prosecution asked whether it is possible to hold someone from the neck and punch him in the eye. When continuing to pressing Mr Aquilina, Magistrate Carol Peralta said that the punch is possible.

Parts Civile Tonio Azzopardi asked whether he saw some injuries on PC Camilleri, to which Mr Aquilina replied in the negative. Dr Azzopardi then asked how his fingerprints ended on the official's neck, but the defence argued that no forensic test had proved the prints were his, and the argument was therefore invalid.

The lawyer asked whether the young man had tried to choke one of the officials and whether he punched him with his elbow, but Mr Aquilina insisted that his version of events were true.

The lawyer also questioned whether he had threatened the police officers to get the minister to remove him from the force and if he had attempted to take the pistol from him. Again, the accused denied. Dr Azzopardi said it took four officers who had to handcuff him, which Mr Aquilina also denied.

 

Relatives claim that officer admitted assault 

 

Testifying in the case against the two police officers, the relatives of Jasione all said that at no point did they see PC Camiller’s shirt torn.

Both Mr and Mrs Vasallo insisted that their daughter’s partner does not drink excessive alcohol, because if this was the case, they would not allow their daughter with him, adding that their five-year-old daughter often accompanies the couple. They said that Mr Aquilina spends most of his time with their family and tending to horses.

"It would never cross his mind to hurt anyone, let alone a police officer. I know him and I am sure my daughter would never lie,” Mrs Vassallo said, getting emotional as she recalled seeing the young man bruised.

The two cases were adjourned to 5 August.