Man Charged With Beating Up Pembroke Student ‘Pledged To Get Rid Of All Black People At The School’
Details emerged in court today of a recent fight at St. Clare’s College in Pembroke, involving two adult brothers who entered the school to beat up a 15-year-old Libyan student who had assaulted one of their 13-year-old sons.
Feliciano Camilleri, the father, and his brother former AFM Staff Sergeant Alexander Camilleri, have pleaded not guilty to a myriad of charges, including assaulting the 15-year-old student and two educators.
In court today, school staff recounted how one of the accused had, in the middle of the fight, shouted “We’ll get rid of all people in this school!” (“Ma jibqax wieħed iswed ġo din l-iskola”).
Prosecuting inspector Joseph Xerri recounted how things got out of hand after the young Libyan student punched the younger Maltese student in the face in the middle of an argument, prompting the latter’s victim’s father and uncle arriving on site and seeking revenge.
An assistant headmistress said she had heard commotion outside her office and that the office door eventually banged open, revealing Alexander Camilleri holding the Libyan student in a headlock with his right arm while punching him with his left.
The assistant head recounted how she tried to break up the fight, but that Camilleri grabbed a heavy-duty puncher and swung it, striking a male LSA who had tried to snatch it out of his hand. He then lifted the assistant head herself off her feet, causing her to fall backwards, break her tailbone and bang her head.
“Leave me alone. X’nikkalma nikkalma,” Camilleri allegedly shouted. “They can call me a criminal and a racist if they want, but I hate Arabs.”
The assaulted LSA, who suffered a blackout and headaches as a result of the attack, said he had seen the Libyan student saying something to the two men outside the clerks’ office and making a move as though to take off his jacket.
Cross-examined by defence lawyers Franco Debono and Arthur Azzopardi, he said it could well be that the student was planning to attack the men and that he doesn’t believe the accused’s puncher assault was intentional.
Another assistant head said that the situation escalated once the Libyan student made as though to remove his jacket.
“He did not seem scared. Rather than stand back, he stood his ground,” he said.
Charges are set to be issued against the student before the juvenile court in the near future.
The two accused were granted bail – Feliciano Camilleri against a deposit of €2,000 and a personal guarantee of €3,000 and his brother against a deposit of €2,500 and personal guarantee of €2,500.
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