A prisoner at Mount Carmel Hospital who mutilated himself with a blade was accused of cutting a police officer in the face as the latter tried to stop him from hurting himself.

The 25-year-old prisoner had a black eye and bruises on his neck when he appeared in court yesterday. He was barely audible as he stood in the dock giving his particulars to the court registrar.

The young man is currently in the hospital's forensic unit and is under the care of a psychologist.

He pleaded not guilty to injuring the police officer, George Casha, by slashing him with the blade, to trying to seriously injure prison guard Grazio Attard, resisting the police, threatening them, disobeying orders and relapsing.

Defence lawyer Gianella Caruana Curran asked the court for her client to be examined medically since he had been suffering from dementia at the time of the crime. She said he had been cutting his arm with the blade when the officers caught him and tried to stop him.

She also asked the court for him to be kept at the forensic unit. Both requests were granted by Magistrate Edwina Grima.

Police Inspector Kevin Farrugia prosecuted.

Lawyer Joseph Giglio also appeared for the accused.