Festa reveller remanded in custody after drunken, foul-mouthed assault on policeman

27-year-old Darren Grech, from Gzira, was remanded in custody earlier today, after he appeared in court accused of drunk and disorderly conduct and assaulting police officers who asked him to put a shirt on during celebrations of the feast of St Julian's.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella heard Inspector Elton Taliana explain how Grech, who appeared in court wearing a lock-up gown, had attacked the two officers in Gorg Borg Olivier Street after they tried to stop an expletive-laced drunken tirade by the accused. 

Inspector Taliana said that the accused had been seen walking the streets, clearly the worse for drink, shirtless and uttering foul language. But when stopped by the police, the accused instead directed his insults towards them, eventually punching an officer in the face.

Defence lawyer Christopher Chircop, appearing for Grech denied the charges and requested bail, but the inspector objected to the request, pointing out that the charges dealt with violence against police officers. 

"In 2013, he had already been convicted for insulting and threatening an officer and was given a suspended sentence. The incident for which he is in court today, happened during the operative period of that sentence. Now he has graduated to actual violence against officers," argued Taliana.

Chircop submitted that the point at issue was whether the accused should be granted bail or not, not whether or not he was guilty. "He qualifies for bail, because the witnesses are police, the accused is Maltese and lives in Malta so there is no risk of him absconding and the court can impose bail conditions fitting to the charges."

"Bail is a fundamental right," he reminded the court. 

The court declined the request, however, saying that although bail was a right, this was subject to conditions that the accused must obey. "The circumstances in this case leads the court to be unconvinced that the accused can be trusted to obey the conditions.”

"From his criminal record, he cannot be described as a trustworthy person who would submit to the conditions imposed and not commit another crime during the period of bail.”