Bomb hoax disrupted delicate operation on baby

A bomb scare at St Luke's Hospital disrupted a delicate operation on a baby, a magistrate heard yesterday.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli jailed Carmel Camilleri, 28, from Luqa for 18 months after he admitted to calling the emergency line 112 in June 2007 claiming there was a bomb at the hospital and at the law courts.

Hospital superintendent Frank Bartolo testified that the hoax disrupted an operation on a baby, which involved taking a tissue sample to the virology lab while still under anaesthetic. Since the virology labs, in the Outpatients' Department, had to be evacuated, the operation could not continue. Due to the bomb scare, the baby was put under anaesthetic needlessly, Dr Bartolo said.

Dr Bartolo explained that about 1,000 patients visited Casualty and Outpatients' and all the appointments had to be cancelled and rescheduled for another day.

The court heard how the police traced the anonymous phone call to Mr Camilleri.

When confronted by the police, Mr Camilleri said he made the calls because he had a court case scheduled for that day but had no money to pay his lawyer.

The director of court services, John Sant testified that all the cases due to be heard in court that day were suspended or postponed.

Magistrate Demicoli said Mr Camilleri's justification was unacceptable.

The court wanted to transmit a clear message to society about the consequences of such behaviour, which caused inconvenience and useless damage to the administration of justice and health services, she said.

Mr Camilleri was also found guilty of relapsing. Police Inspector Mario Tonna prosecuted.