Drunken 'spectacle' lands youth behind bars

A night out in Paceville landed a young man behind bars yesterday evening, after he got drunk and damaged a policeman’s glasses after causing a commotion.

Czech-born David Pitule, 21, who lives in St Paul’s Bay after moving to Malta, found himself in trouble with the law when he had one drink too many and became rowdy.

Police patrolling the area were alerted to a disturbance which had broken out in a Paceville club.

There they came across the inebriated accused who violently lashed out at the police, slightly injuring an officer and damaging his glasses which the court was told were worth €290.

The man was arrested at around 1.00am and arraigned earlier today. He pleaded not guilty to having assaulted or violently resisted the police officers, threatened them, disobeyed lawful orders, slightly injured one of them, wifully damaged his glasses and disturbed public peace while being drunk in public.

A request for bail was turned down by presiding magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera in view of objections raised by the prosecution relating to the serious nature of the charges and the fact that the arrested man had no family ties in Malta.

Inspector Nikolai Sant prosecuted.

Lawyer Yanika Bugeja was legal aid counsel.