Two young men were brought before the Magistrates' Court on Monday following an early-morning altercation in Paceville that resulted in an injured police officer.
One was handed a two-year probation sentence and a €2,000 fine while the other remains remanded in custody.
The incident occurred along St George's Road in Paceville at around 4am on Sunday.
According to the police, a fight initially broke out involving Miguel Micallef, before a third man, later identified as Ismael Milad Mai Camilleri, joined in and threw a punch.
Responding officers, including police sergeant Matthew Parnis and Isaac Borg, intervened to restore order and calm Miguel Micallef, during which Parnis sustained slight physical injuries.
The two accused, 24-year-old Miguel Micallef and 27-year-old Ismael Milad Mai Camilleri appeared under arrest before the court on Monday afternoon.
Taking the stand, Miguel Micallef entered a guilty plea to charges including insulting officers, disturbing the public peace, and public drunkenness. His admission came after audio-visual evidence, including footage from police body cameras and CCTV cameras was presented to the court.
Defence counsel noted Micallef's clean criminal record and good family background and emphasized that he holds significant respect for the work carried out by the police force. Micallef expressed remorse in court for his actions during the incident.
Taking his early admission and lack of prior convictions into account, the court found Micallef guilty of the charges brought against him. He was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a €2,000 fine.
The case against 27-year-old Ismael Camilleri took a different turn.
Camilleri faced a longer list of charges, including violently resisting police officers, causing slight injury to police sergeant Parnis, committing an offense while under an active probation order from October 2025, and recidivism.
Camilleri appeared in court with visible injuries, most notably a severely swollen black eye. His defence asked he be seen by a forensic medical expert for the injuries he suffered.
In response, the presiding magistrate appointed forensic physician Mario Scerri to officially examine and record the defendant's condition.
While Camilleri's defence requested bail, arguing there was no risk of evidence tampering given the extensive video evidence and civilian witnesses present, the court ultimately denied the request.
Camilleri was remanded at the Corradino Correctional Facility, with the court directing prison authorities to ensure he receives all necessary medical attention while in custody.
This case was presided over by Magistrate Astrid May Grima.
Inspectors Nigel Buhagiar and Pierguido Saliba led the prosecution.
Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Eman Scicluna, Adreana Zammit appeared for the defence.