A British man of Nigerian origin, currently on holiday in Malta, told a court yesterday that a fight that broke out outside Fuego Bar in Paceville was just a big misunderstanding between him and one of the bouncers who, he thought, were not letting him in because of the colour of his skin.

Lucky Olori, a 35-year-old man who lives in the UK, was testifying in the compilation of evidence against four bouncers – Anthony Azzopardi, 27, from Hamrun, Roderick Attard, 22, from Kalkara, David Bonello, 48, from Gharghur and Charlton Abela, 25, from Cospicua. They are pleading not guilty to slightly injuring Mr Olori and to the attempted murder of his friend Felix Idisi Oduh and seriously injuring Mr Oduh with a bottle on the night of 24 June.

Last week, Mr Olori admitted slightly injuring one of the bouncers and breaching the peace and he was jailed for one month. He is presently waiting for his appeal to be heard and told the court that he had pleaded guilty on his lawyer’s advice, although he was acting in self-defence.

Testifying in court yesterday before magistrate Lawrence Quintano, Mr Olori said he could not understand why he had been jailed for a month for a “misunderstanding” between him and the bouncer. He said that, following the incident, they had apologised to each other and shaken each other’s hands.

He explained that on the night in question, he went to Fuego with his friends but was not allowed in because he was told there was a party for students. He asked to speak to the manager and showed his British student’s card but he was still not allowed in. He said one of the bouncers, who he recognised as Mr Attard, pushed him out of the establishment, down the stairs and onto the road.

Mr Olori said he remembered trying to get up while tables and chairs started to fly. He said that when he eventually managed to stand up, he head-butted Mr Attard in self-defence, adding that soon after the incident, he and Mr Attard apologised to each other, because neither of them wanted the matter to end up in court. He said there was a misunderstanding over why he and his friends were not allowed into the nightclub.

The witness testified that the manager explained to him that his skin colour had nothing to do with the fact that he was not allowed in and told him that “coloured people” were employed there too.

Mr Olori said he did not see how his friend was stabbed in the neck with a glass bottle, seriously and critically injuring him.

Testifying in court, Mr Oduh explained that he had gone to Fuego with Mr Olori and their respective girlfriends and had not been allowed in. He said that after his friend spoke to the manager, one of the bouncers had pushed him into the road, and that was when the fracas had begun.

He said the four bouncers started to beat up his friend, who was on the ground, and as he moved towards them to stop them, Mr Azzopardi hit him in the neck with a bottle. He said he moved away and when he saw one of the bouncers with something in his hands, he got hold of a chair from a nearby establishment and used it to defend himself.

Towards the end of yesterday’s sitting, Dr Joseph Giglio, who is appearing for the bouncers, exhibited a DVD that contained CCTV footage of the events that night. Police Inspector Carlo Ellul drew the attention of the court to the fact that when the police, during their investigations, asked the owners of the bar if they could look at, and have a copy of, the CCTV footage, they were told that the cameras shot just the area close to one of the bars and not where the incident had taken place.

At the end of the sitting, the bouncers were each granted bail against a deposit of Lm2,000 and a personal guarantee of Lm2,000. The case continues.

Police Inspector Carlo Ellul prosecuted while Dr Joseph Giglio and Dr Noel Camilleri appeared for the accused.