Pasqualino Cefai at a previous hearing.

A man serving time over a stabbing in a Gozo courtroom yesterday allegedly assaulted a magistrate in a fit of rage.

Gozitan Pasqualino Cefai, 34, was two years ago found guilty of the multiple stabbing of a man seeking repayment of a debt. He was described by the judge at the time as having “terrorised Gozo”.

Yesterday he was in trouble again as he pleaded not guilty to attacking, threatening and insulting Magistrate Miriam Hayman in the morning.

He was also accused of resisting the police, assaulting several police officers, injuring a constable, disobeying police orders, breaching the peace, swearing in public and breaking a glass pane in the court room.

An eyewitness who was in court yesterday waiting to testify said he saw Mr Cefai being dragged out of the courtroom by four police officers, with another two rushing to their aid as he struggled free of their grip.

He was heard screaming profanities at the magistrate and later at police and bystanders.

The officers finally restrained Mr Cefai and carried him into a courthouse elevator, the witness said. Mr Cefai approached journalists after the arraignment to give them comments. He said the incident took place during a case before Magistrate Hayman over bank overdrafts.

Pasqualino Cefai is serving seven years for stabbing a creditor.

He was doing his best to start his life afresh but was finding obstacles in his way, he said.

Mr Cefai is serving seven years in jail over the stabbing incident in 2012.

He was found guilty, at the end of a week-long trial by jury, of stabbing Joseph Portelli, 57, of Żebbuġ, at least 14 times and seriously injuring him, but was cleared of attempted murder.

The incident had taken place during a sitting in a Gozo courtroom in which Mr Portelli was suing Mr Cefai over an outstanding debt of €10,000.

Mr Cefai was seeking to prevent Mr Portelli from executing a warrant of seizure of two trucks which had been demanded as payment.

He had terrorised Gozo with his aggressive attitude

Seconds before the frenzied attack, Magistrate Josette Demicoli had ordered Mr Cefai out of the court room after he interrupted the proceedings.

In the judgment over that case, Mr Justice Michael Mallia said that Mr Cefai had “terrorised Gozo” with his constant aggressive attitude.

He said Mr Cefai deserved no clemency given that he had started having trouble with the law since he was 16 and had been systematically arraigned every two years.

Besides being jailed for seven years, Mr Cefai was also also ordered to pay €6,000 in court expenses.

The police officers allegedly assaulted by Mr Cefai in yesterday’s incident were inspectors Johann Fenech, Kevin Pulis and Dennis Theuma, sergeant Duncan Demicoli and constable Ryan Borg Ungaro.

Lawyers Noel Bianco and Silvio Brincat requested bail but Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona refused it at this stage.

Police Inspector Darryl Borg prosecuted.