‘I will not think twice to run over two of you,’ man told police officers

A 24-year-old man was remanded in custody after the court heard how he attempted to run over police officers who stopped him in Hamrun.

Justin James Grima from Tarxien faces 12 charges, including that of trying to run over two traffic policemen in St Joseph Street, Hamrun on Saturday.

Grima pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court heard Inspector Pierguido Saliba recount how a police sergeant noticed Grima’s black Mitsubishi Shogun with blackened out windows and asked the accused to follow him to the police garage.

Grima is understood to have performed a U-turn, put down a passenger, and attempted to drive off.

The police officer caught up with him and when he tried to switch off Grima’s vehicle, the accused grabbed him from the wrist and told him: “My cousin ran over one of you, I will not think twice to run over two of you.”

Grima is the cousin of Liam Debono, who stands accused of the attempted murder of police officer Simon Schembri after running him over last year.

Grima stands charged with dangerous driving, disobeying police orders, threatening public officials, damaging a police motorcycle and relapsing.

Magistrate Simone Grech refused the request for bail made by the defence.

On his way out of the courtroom, Grima created a commotion and had to be handcuffed by the police to prevent him from harming himself. Relatives of the accused allegedly threatened the police and the magistrate had to be escorted out of the building by the police.

The prosecution is being led by inspectors Pierguido Saliba from the traffic branch and Matthew Galea from the Hamrun police station.

Lawyers Amadeus Cachia and Franco Debono appeared for the accused.