Man admits injuring police officer after confrontation over illegally parked car

A man is to be sentenced later this month after he admitted to injuring a police officer who told him to move his illegally parked car.

Jake Debono, 24, from Valletta was arraigned before magistrate Giannella Camilleri Busuttil on Friday.

Inspector Zachary Zammit charged Debono with having driven a car without a driving licence, in a dangerous and reckless manner, without insurance cover on August 19 at 8:30am in Triq San Ġorg, St. Julians. The man was also charged with threatening and assaulting a police constable, slightly injuring him, disobeying his legitimate orders or obstructing them and giving false particulars.

The court was also asked to disqualify the man from driving.

Inspector Zammit told the court that community police officers had been on patrol near Triq San Ġorg in St. Julians on August 19, when they noticed an illegally parked white Toyota. The officers approached and told the driver to park somewhere else, but the driver simply moved the car further down the road and parked illegally again.

The officers approached the vehicle again, this time asking the driver for identification and insurance documents. But when one of the officers asked him for the documents, the suspect drove off instead, causing slight injury to the officer, who had been reaching inside the car at the time.

An arrest warrant was issued and a search was carried out at Debono’s place of residence in Valletta, but did not find him there. 

Police called the suspect on his mobile phone and ordered him to present himself at the police station. When he complied, the next day, he was taken into custody.

Debono told the court that he was unemployed and had recently stopped working as a pizzaiolo.

Defence lawyer Franco Debono informed the court that the defendant would be pleading guilty, requesting a brief adjournment to prepare submissions on punishment, explaining that the defence wanted to explore the possibility that the lesser charges could be absorbed into the more serious ones.

Inspector Zammit recommended a punishment tending towards the minimum, telling the court that the defendant had cooperated fully and presented himself at the police station immediately upon being told to do so, and had also shown clear remorse.

The court gave the defendant an opportunity to consult with his lawyer before confirming his plea, which he did.

The lawyer requested bail for his client until a sitting is set for the defence to make its submissions on punishment. Inspector Zammit did not object to the request as the defendant had presented himself at the police station when asked to.

Debono stressed that the defendant had just lost his job and requested the court impose a small bail deposit in the circumstances.

Adjourning the case to 13 September, the court upheld the request for bail, ordering the man to sign a bail book twice a week and observe a curfew. Bail was secured by a €500 deposit and a €4,000 personal guarantee.