Teenager apologises to officer he assaulted

A 17-year-old yesterday admitted to assaulting a police sergeant at a nightclub explaining that the incident had been a misunderstanding.

After being conditionally discharged for two years, the young man apologised to the officer with a handshake that was greeted with a friendly pat on the back.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard the 17-year-old admit to threatening and assaulting PS Silvio Magro and damaging his mobile phone on Saturday night.

Lawyer Martin Fenech, for the boy, explained that the incident happened when his client was at the club and was hit on the head with a bottle. He did not know who hit him and, when the officer approached him to check if he was alright, the boy mistook him for his aggressor and assaulted him breaking the officer's PDA.

The damage caused to the PDA amounted to Lm120, of which the boy had already paid Lm100, the lawyer noted.

The name of the boy is not being published because he is a minor.

Police Inspector Alexander Grech prosecuted.