No bail for drunk who smashed police car window

A 23-year-old drunken man who was harrassing the mother of his child smashed the window of a police car when officers turned up to deal with the disturbance, the court heard this morning.

Inspectors Elton Taliana and Nicholas Vella arraigned the man on charges of insulting, threatening or reviling police officers, resisting arrest, driving a car dangerously, damaging a police car when he kicked out the rear windscreen, breaching the peace, being drunk in public threatening the mother of his child, harassing her, insulting or threatening her and breaching bail conditions and relapsing.

The accused, who appeared in front of Magistrate Neville Camilleri wearing a white tracksuit and matching trainers, pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Benjamin Valenzia, asked for bail.

Taliana objected pointing out that the man had been arrested for a series of offences, as well as the fear he caused to his ex-partner, as evidenced by a series of reports she filed. The accused would turn violent in the presence of the police, he said. “Whenever he is confronted by the police, it always ends up badly.”

The court heard how the man told the police that he thinks he may have a psychological problem and would “want to tell police that he’s armed in order to get them to shoot him”.

“He’s a threat to himself, society and his ex-partner," Taliana said.

The inspector added that the man’s ex-partner was present in court and had wished to forgive the accused, but the court was having none of it.

“It’s become a game to report people and then 24 hours later come here and say you forgive them. There’s nothing nicer than forgiveness but there is a limit,” the magistrate said.

The court denied bail and imposed a protection order in case the accused is granted bail at a later stage. A social inquiry report was also ordered.