Updated | Pasqualino Cefai restrained by police as he attempts to attack Magistrate

Gozitan man remanded in custody after losing temper in courtroom and assaulting three inspectors, a police sergeant and a police constable

Three RIU units and district police officers were called in at Magistrate Miriam Hayman’s courtroom after Pasqualino Cefai, 39 of Zebbug, Gozo, tried to attack the Magistrate.

Cefai, who was jailed for seven years over a violent assault in a Gozo courtroom, appeared today before Magistrate Hayman over a separate case involving the importation of drugs.

The case goes back to 2011.

Cefai reportedly lost his temper during the court sitting and attempted to assault the magistrate. A police officer was injured during the altercation. Later on in the evening, the Gozitan was remanded in custody after Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona denied him bail.

The magistrate heard how Cefai assaulted three inspectors, a police sergeant and a police constable during this morning’s hearing.

In all Cefai was arraigned for 10 charges, including assaulting and threatening a Magistrate, assaulting and threatening a public servant, violently resisting a public servant in the execution of his duties, causing slight injuries to a police officer, disobeying a lawful order made by a police officer, voluntarily causing damage to a court window, assaulting a magistrate and police officers, disturbing the public peace, using blasphemous language and being a recidivist.

Lawyers Noel Bianco and Silvio Brincat, assisting the accused, requested bail and that Cefai be allowed to continue working in the prison bakery. 

While denying him bail, the magistrate had no objection to him working in the bakery, leaving this to the discretion of the prison director.

Turning to the reporters sitting in the courtroom, Cefai said he “wants to start a new life and not be hindered in doing so” before he was escorted out of the room.

Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted.

Cefai, together with George Frendo, 45 of Zurrieq, faced charges of criminal conspiracy, importation and trafficking in drugs. The drugs were discovered in a Peugeot 406 that arrived on a ship from Sicily. According to prosecutors, the car had started the journey from the UK and had been imported by Cefai and Frendo.

The entire police search yielded a number of packets which amount to over 4.5 kilogrammes of cocaine and a substance to be mixed with the drug, before it is sold. However, further tests revealed that only a small portion of the 4.5kg was cocaine.