Inmate tasered as he attempted to cut himself, court told

The accused was alleging that he was beaten up in the lockup and requested a magisterial inquiry

The inmate claimed that he was beaten up the police and requested a magisterial inquiry into his allegations
The inmate claimed that he was beaten up the police and requested a magisterial inquiry into his allegations

A violent inmate who alleged that police brutalised him had been tasered and sedated to prevent him from seriously injuring himself a court was told on Friday.

Policemen wearing surgical gloves wheeled Abdell Raouf Mohfoudi Ali Hassan into Magistrate Gabriella Vella’s courtroom this morning, his arms handcuffed to the chair, his legs secured with cable ties and a spit mask over his face.

Hassan, who has a colourful criminal record, was charged with violently resisting the police at Police Headquarters and Mater Dei Hospital. He was also accused of threatening a number of officers and slightly injuring one. A number of other charges relating to damage to government property, breaching the peace and swearing were also pressed, together with a charge of breaching bail.

Inspectors Priscilla Caruana Lee and Jeffrey Scicluna read out the charges.

Defence lawyer Noel Bianco told the court that the accused was alleging that he was beaten up in the lockup and requested a magisterial inquiry.

Inspector Caruana Lee told the court that the man had been in the police lockup when he started to bang his head on the door. He was taken to Mater Dei Hospital for a checkup, but while there he had kicked a police sergeant in the head. He was discharged from hospital and taken back into custody.

Police had then heard him smash a bathroom window and found him in the bathroom, broken glass in hand, about to cut himself.

Inspector Scicluna explained that the man was then tasered. 

Asked by Bianco how he had ended up in the ITU, the inspector explained that he had to be sedated.

Bianco contested validity of arrest. “No doctor would give a patient a dose that would send him the to ITU,” argued the lawyer.

Scicluna replied that the man had been so aggressive that the doctors had decided to sedate him and that he then had to be under constant medical observation due to the sedative.

The accused claims he was beaten up, pointed out the lawyer.

The court said the issue of police brutality would be addressed by the appointment of a medical expert to examine the accused. An expert was also appointed to examine CCTV footage from the lockup.

The arrest was declared valid.

Having been medically certified as fit to plead, Hassan pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Bail was not requested. The accused will be held in custody at the Forensic Ward of Mount Carmel Hospital.