Man apologises and admits to injuring Police Inspectors, Sergeant in Court ruckus

Luke Bugeja, 27 apologised and admitted to injuring two Police Inspectors and a Sergeant when he resisted being handcuffed outside a Court room yesterday.

Legal aid lawyer Martin Fenech told the court that Bugeja’s case merited to be seen it its entirety, and while his actions were to be deplored, one had to understand that the accused needed to be assisted by society and not ignored.
Legal aid lawyer Martin Fenech told the court that Bugeja’s case merited to be seen it its entirety, and while his actions were to be deplored, one had to understand that the accused needed to be assisted by society and not ignored.

Facing his third arraignment in a week, homeless Luke Bugeja this morning apologised for having injured two Police Inspectors and a Sergeant when he resisted being handcuffed to be escorted to Corradino Prisons after having been denied bail.

Bugeja, who in a week faced three different arraignments for violent assault on Police officers and for having smashed the CCTV camera system at 'Dar Suret il-Bniedem', told Magistrate Giovanni Grixti that he was sorry for what he did.

"I am honestly sorry for having behaved that way. I don't know what got into me. I am wreck," Bugej told the Magistrate.

Legal aid lawyer Martin Fenech told the court that Bugeja's case merited to be seen it its entirety, and while his actions were to be deplored, one had to understand that the accused needed to be assisted by society and not ignored.

"Sending him to prison would not be ideal. He should be given assistance through a social worker who could guide him, and also followed through an anger management programme," Fenech said.

Prosecuting Inspector Kylie Borg said it was true that Bugeja needed plenty of help, and something must be done for him to be given such help, it was also important for the Court to send a clear message to society, that nobody must resist a police officer.

"These officers were simply trying to do their job and follow procedure by putting handcuffs on a person who was to be escorted to Corradino Prisons," Borg said.

Magistrate Grixti deferred the sitting to Monday where he will be handing judgement.

The incident

Bugeja created a commotion in the law courts yesterday afternoon as he kicked and head-butted two police inspectors, while three constables attempted to put handcuffs to his wrists.

The incident developed as Bugeja refused to be taken to prison after he was denied bail by Magistrate Consuelo Herrera on charges of violently resisting arrest and slightly injuring a constable at the Sliema police station, last Monday.

During his arraignment, Bugeja claimed to have been harassed by the police, who refused to assist him. But it transpired through evidence that the accused had flung a punch at the Orderly Constable at the police station, after he was informed that the inspector was not at the police station to sign a paper he needed to present to the Department of the Social Services, and the Employment Training Corporation.

The Sliema incident happened just hours after he had been given a conditional discharge by Magistrate Neville Camilleri, when he was charged with smashing the CCTV cameras at Dar Suret il-Bniedem in Paola.

Soon after the sitting was over, Bugeja was ushered out of Herrera's courtroom, where he assaulted his police escort when he refused to be handcuffed.

Bugeja was originally cuffed to a constable's wrist, but after complaining his handcuffs were removed. It was here that he started to resist having both hands cuffed, shouting and kicking a police inspector to the ground, prompting other police officers to assist their colleagues.

Another police inspector, James Grech, rushed to assist but was head-butted by Bugeja as he tried to calm him down. Bugeja attempted to resist the police as he was being taken down to the lock-up beneath the law courts. He could be heard shouting in the lift as he was taken downstairs to the lock-up cells until he was transferred to Corradino.