Woman who threatened Repubblika protestors outside police HQ, conditionally discharged

Repubblika activists and a woman who had previously threatened to run them over with an excavator shook hands outside the courtroom after she was convicted over the incident.

Earlier today, Sandra Micallef from Iklin pleaded guilty to criminal charges of threatening Repubblika President Robert Aquilina and other activists from the NGO. The incident had occurred in October last year, as activists had staged a three-day protest outside police headquarters, to highlight the apparent impunity enjoyed by disgraced former minister Konrad Mizzi.

Aquilina testified to having instructed lawyer Jason Azzopardi to file a report with police commissioner Angelo Gafa' immediately after being threatened. He accused the commissioner of not taking action to adequately protect the activists that night "out of pique", only sending patrols around the depot instead of detailing officers to stand guard.

He told magistrate Ian Farrugia that in four years of protests, this had been the first time that this had happened, saying that the police inaction had probably been prompted by the fact that Gafa's face was printed on the protest banner.

Aquilina said he had stopped one of the police cars, asking the officers to stay there and protect the protesters, only to be told by the policemen themselves that they had orders not to stay near the activists but only to carry out frequent patrols. The police had also refused his request to immediately speak to the woman who had made the threat, he said.  

In a decision handed down this morning, Micallef was found guilty by the court, which imposed a €400 fine and conditionally discharged her for one year. After the sitting, the Micallef and the Repubblika activists spoke with each other at length.

Lawyer Sharon Micallef assisted the defendant, while lawyer Jason Azzopardi appeared parte civile for the activists.

READ MORE: Repubblika starts 72-hour vigil outside Police HQ demanding Konrad Mizzi's prosecution