Two men have been imprisoned after admitting to assaulting a 62-year-old man who was jogging in Sliema in 2022.

Xhovano Ndoci and Agostin Marku, two 24-year-old Albanian nationals, along with Matthew Schembri, had been arraigned in June 2022 after a jogger was physically assaulted on Sliema promenade in June 2022.

Schembri had allegedly commissioned the two men to attack the victim, who happens to be the accused’s former father-in-law.

The Albanian nationals lived together in a Sliema apartment owned by Schembri, while also working for him.

All three of the men were charged with complicity in attempted grievous bodily harm, attempted grievous bodily harm and actual slight bodily harm.

While Ndoci was also carrying a sharp and pointed object in public without authorization.

The victim was going for his morning jog along the Sliema Promenade and was seemingly attacked out of the blue in an unprovoked assault by two knife-carrying men, leaving him shocked and terrified.

“While I was enjoying my run, I noticed two guys sitting on a bench. Out of the blue, and without provocation, one of them got up and punched me in the face so hard, that he threw me away on the grass,” the man had told Lovin Malta.

Ndoci was given a sentence of 20 months and was €116.47. The court also ordered the confiscation of the weapon used during the assault.

Marku was jailed for 22 months and ordered to pay €26.61 in court expenses.

A restraining order in favour of the victim was issued.