Refugee jailed for assaulting police

A Somali refugee was jailed for a month after being found guilty of using violence against police officers and hindering them from doing their duty.

Osman Olmar, 26, was charged together with Eritrean Habtom Tesema Berhea with threatening, assaulting and slightly injuring Sgt Nikolai Sant and constable Emmanuel Agius, violently resisting them and failing to obey police orders.

Mr Olmar was further charged with relapsing.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera said violence against police officers always carried a prison term as in a civil society it could not be tolerated that someone interfered with police duties and tried to hinder them from carrying out their duty.

The court heard that on May 9, the two accused were sleeping on a bus en route to St Julians. When efforts were made to wake them up and have them leave the bus, they turned violent.

The court noted that Mr Olmar initially disembarked but when the police tried to take his friend off the bus the latter became violent and Mr Olmar too violently resisted arrest. The court noted it was not the first time that the man had resorted to violence and did not feel it should accept such behaviour.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera added that she wanted to afford the police protection as they carried out their job in difficult and delicate situations and this case could not be taken lightly.

"The police are not there to be molested and threatened," she said.

The court is still hearing the case against the Eritrean man.

Inspectors Martin Sammut and Carmelo Abdilla prosecuted.