Man who threatened police officers with knife and bottle sentenced to imprisonment, fined €4,000

A man who used a glass bottle to threaten police officers at the Qawra police station on Sunday has been sentenced to eight months in prison and fined €4,000.

The 29-year-old Sudanese man admitted the charges during his arraignment, overruling his legal aid lawyer, who had entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.

Saad Mohammed, who lives in Marsa, admitted to having used violence at the police station, in the incident which occurred at around 1pm on Sunday. Mohammed also pleaded guilty to having threatened, insulted and violently resisted a police sergeant, three constables and police inspector George Frendo, who was the arraigning officer in today’s sitting.

The man’s admission also covers charges of disobeying legitimate police orders, disrupting the police officers whilst they were carrying out their duties, as well as carrying arms proper and arms improper. Inspector Frendo explained that the knife had been found hidden in the man’s clothes.

Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo upheld Inspector Frendo’s request for the issuing of a protection order in favour of the police officers involved in the case.

Lawyer Christopher Chircop, appointed as legal aid counsel to the accused, dictated a note in court stating that he had advised the defendant to plead not guilty, but that the man had ignored this advice and had chosen to admit all of the charges against him.

In fact, the magistrate noted that Mohammed had answered guilty no less than five times during the arraignment, persisting even after being given time to reconsider his admission.

The destruction of the knife and bottle used in the attack was ordered by the court, which also informed the accused that his €4,000 fine was to be paid immediately or it would be converted into additional prison time.