Woman cleared of assaulting father of her son’s girlfriend with a glass

50-year-old Jacqueline Bugeja from Cospicua has been cleared of the charges of smashing the face of the father of her son’s girlfriend with a glass due to doubts as to whether the man’s injuries were in fact inflicted by her.

Inspector Kylie Borg said that Nazzareno Gauci’s (the alleged victim) daughter Wendy had been in a relationship with Francis Bugeja, the accused’s son.

The Court heard how the alleged victim, his wife, son and his son’s girlfriend, went over to Wendy’s apartment. Natasha Bugeja (the accused’s daughter) was also present.

For unknown reasons, the Gauci and Bugeja families clashed outside. The Court was told that Natasha called her brother, Francis, who together with their brother and mother (the accused) arrived in a stolen vehicle.

A scuffle followed and Nazzareno Gauci suffered a laceration under one eye, resulting in permanent scarring.

The victim said that he tried to intervene in the fight when he saw one of the Bugeja brothers hit his son with a hammer in the back of his head. He himself was then hit in the face with a glass. He said this blow was given by a woman who exited the car of his daughter’s boyfriend.

The accused denied the charges, claiming that the Gaucis had rammed her car from behind. The accused had later withdrawn his criminal complaint.

The Court could not establish who caused Nazzareno Gauci’s injuries, given that at the time of the incident, he claimed that Francis had caused his injuries, later stating that it was the woman who exited the car, and, yet again, later withdrew his criminal complaint.