Ħamrun Gardener Denied Bail After Sliema ‘Finger-Bite’ Brawl Rocks Summer Nightlife

Gardener Denied Bail After Biting Another Man’s Finger in Sliema Street Brawl

A 42-year-old Ħamrun gardener was remanded in custody on Tuesday after a late-night street fight in Sliema ended with one man’s finger almost severed and the other tasting blood—literally. Magistrate Claire Zammit Stafrace denied bail for Joseph “Ġużi” Pace, arguing that the accused poses a risk of re-offending and that civilian witnesses still need to testify without fear of intimidation.

The incident unfolded last Saturday outside the iconic Exiles bar on the Sliema seafront, a stretch normally reserved for sunset selfies and leisurely ħobż-biż-żejt picnics. According to Inspector Kurt Zahra, Pace and the 36-year-old victim, a Birkirkara plasterer, had spent the afternoon drinking together before an argument erupted over a woman hailing from Għarb, Gozo. Words escalated into blows; at one point Pace allegedly lunged forward and clamped his teeth on the victim’s right index finger, tearing through tendon and nail. Blood spattered the promenade’s iconic hexagonal tiles as onlookers—some still clutching their al-fresco mojitos—shouted “Ħudu! Ħudu!” (“Stop him!”).

Paramedics rushed the injured man to Mater Dei Hospital, where surgeons managed to save the finger but warned it might never regain full mobility. Pace, meanwhile, was found half an hour later by district police crouched behind a boat trailer on Qui-Si-Sana beach, his white Malta football team T-shirt stained crimson.

Cultural undercurrents run deep in such clashes. Maltese summers are notorious for “temp ta’ qamel” (sweltering heat) that shortens tempers and lengthens bar queues. Add the potent mix of village loyalties—Ħamrun vs Birkirkara—and the long-standing rivalry between Malta and Gozo that locals joke about but rarely take seriously, and a single look at a perceived rival can ignite flare-ups. Pace’s defence lawyer, Franco Debono, argued that his client “regretted the spur-of-the-moment bite” and had even offered to pay the victim’s medical expenses. Yet Magistrate Zammit Stafrace noted that Pace had a 2019 conviction for aggravated assault during the Nadur carnival, another event where Maltese exuberance sometimes tips into violence.

Community reaction has been swift. The Sliema local council announced plans to install brighter LED lighting along the Exiles stretch and increase police foot patrols at weekends. But beneath the official statements, residents are divided. “We’ve had noise, drugs, now cannibalism—what next?” quipped an elderly woman walking her Maltese terrier beneath the palm trees. Others shrug it off as “ħaga ta’ kuljum” (an everyday thing) in a country where everyone knows everyone and grudges simmer like rabbit stew over low heat.

Social media threads exploded with puns—“The Gardener’s Revenge: Fertilised with Fingers!”—while the satirical Facebook page “Malta Sal-Bajd” (Malta Until the Egg) posted a mock menu featuring “Finger-lickin’ Ġużi Wings.” Yet the humour masks genuine concern about alcohol-fuelled violence in popular nightlife zones. The Malta Tourism Authority worries that viral videos of blood on the promenade could dent the island’s family-friendly image just as cruise lines return to Grand Harbour.

At Pace’s arraignment, the courtroom’s wooden benches creaked under the weight of curious relatives and nosy neighbours. When the magistrate announced “Bail denied,” a collective murmur rippled through the chamber. Outside, Pace’s tearful mother clutched a rosary and told reporters, “My son isn’t a monster; he’s just hot-headed. We’re Mediterranean people—we shout, we bite, we say sorry the next day.” Whether the victim will accept that apology remains to be seen; he is still recovering at home, his bandaged finger held aloft like a warning flag against the summer sky.

As the August festa season approaches—with its petards, brass bands, and late-night feasts—the message from the courts is clear: even in a country where passion runs as thick as Kinnie, teeth are not a legitimate negotiation tool. Pace will spend at least the next month in Corradino Correctional Facility awaiting the next hearing, leaving Sliema’s sunbathers to reclaim their promenade, hopefully with all digits intact.