Senseless attacks on passing cars in Marsa earn man six months in prison

Medical tests on 22-year-old man returned negative for drugs or alcohol.

A court has jailed a British man who jumped on the bonnet of one car, and threw rocks at another in Marsa early on Saturday morning.

Somali-born British citizen Abiib Adan Hamze, 22, was arrested at Marsa after he stopped a passing car at Aldo Moro road in Marsa and jumped on its bonnet and roof, before attacking the driver. 

Another car was also damaged by stones thrown by the man in a separate, but equally senseless, attack.

Police Inspector Robert Said Sarreo told magistrate Doreen Clarke how Hamze had been arrested during the night of April 7 by police officers reacting to reports that dark-skinned men were throwing stones at cars passing through the Marsa thoroughfare.

The driver of one vehicle which had been damaged told police that he had seen the car in front of his swerve to avoid hitting a man running in the middle of the road. He braked hard and stopped to avoid running the man over.

But instead of thanking his lucky stars and scurrying to safety, the pedestrian then leapt on to the bonnet of his car before making his way on to its roof, on which he proceeded to jump up and down.

A female passenger had tried to get out of the vehicle, but the man made as if to attack her, the police were told. As the woman's boyfriend drove off, the accused had pelted the car with stones.

After his arrest, the man reportedly attacked police at the Hamrun police station, where he threatened to send his friends to "find them on the street" and pay them back.

Medical tests on Hamze returned negative for drugs or alcohol.

Hamze pleaded guilty to causing voluntary damage to two cars, attacking the occupants of one, insulting them, threatening four police officers, disobeying lawful police orders, breaching the peace, violating the terms of a previous suspended sentence and relapsing.

In view of his guilty plea, Hamze was jailed for a total of six months, after his suspended sentence was also rendered active.

Lawyer Patrick Valentino was legal aid to the accused.