A Norwegian man has been given a six-month jail term suspended for a year after he admitted to assaulting police and damaging a sofa at a hotel, which he mistook to be the hotel where he was staying, when he was drunk.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke  heard 29-year-old Svein Espen Sorstad plead guilty to drinking alcohol to the point that he could not control his actions and damaging a sofa at the Westin Dragonara Resort when he mistook the resort for a nearby St Julians hotel where was actually staying on Tuesday night.

Mr Sorstad -who appeared in court carrying his luggages -  also admitted to threatening, assaulting and disobeying police later that night when they escorted him to the police station.

On handing down judgement Magistrate Clarke heard how Mr Sorstad had come to Malta to watch the Malta-Norway match and acted the way he did because he was drunk and had lost control.

She also heard how he was deeply sorry for his actions and had paid for all the damage caused.

The magistrate warned the man that his state of intoxication was not an excuse and that assaulting of police officers was a serious offence. However, given the circumstances of the case, a suspended jail term was appropriate.

Police Inspectors Carlo Ellul and Martin Sammut prosecuted. Lawyer Beppe Fenech Adami appeared for the defendant.