Bar owner admits he assaulted black-clad police officers because he mistook them for robbers

A man admitted assaulting two police officers in St Paul’s Bay, telling the court he had mistaken them for people who had attacked him with a knife.

Ludwig Muscat, 44, pleaded guilty to charges of violently resisting two police officers in an incident which occurred at around 6am on 1 August in Triq Efesu, St Paul’s Bay.

Inspector Matthew Galea told Magistrate Charmaine Galea that on the day of the incident, police officers had been dispatched to investigate reports of a violent argument. 

But when the police arrived at the bar, its owner, Muscat, had resisted them, causing two officers to suffer slight injuries.

Muscat was charged with violently resisting the two policemen, slightly injuring them both, being drunk and incapable of taking care of himself in a public place and breaching the peace.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges. 

Defence lawyer Rachel Tua explained to the court that her client had slapped the police officers after mistaking them for individuals who had attacked him at his bar with a knife just 10 minutes before.

Responding to the knock at the door, Muscat had opened it and immediately slapped the officers, thinking that his assailants had returned, said the lawyer. Both police and his alleged assailants had been wearing black, she explained.

The uniform of police officers forming part of the Rapid Intervention Unit is black.

The court, in view of the man’s admission, found him guilty and sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for one year. Muscat was also fined €4,000 and ordered not to approach the officers in question.