Former prisoner back behind bars for threatening officers

A 38-year-old former prisoner, Jean-Claude Cassar, is back behind bars after having been convicted of threatening and resisting a police sergeant and a constable at the prisons in June 2006.

The incident happened when the prisoner was about to be escorted to police headquarters where a superintendent wished to see him.

The court was told that the prisoner insulted the police officers and tried to assault one of them. Reinforcements  were called in.

The court in delivering judgement said it had noted that according to a Probation Officer's report, the man had had a difficult upbringing including violence from his father - then a superintendent with the SAG.

The mother of the accused also used to be assaulted by her husband and these were factors which created a sense of rebellion against people in uniform.

The accused had, since his release from prison, been involved in a relationship and had a daughter. He was also recovering from a drug problem.

However the court also considered the criminal record of the accused.

The accused was condemned to imprisonment for nine months.