Last February he had dropped to his knees and apologised profusely to the presiding magistrate, getting off with a suspended sentence. 

But Yaw Akaadom, 35, was not so lucky when he tried to repeat the scene in court this week. 

This time round, the Ghanaian man with an Italian residence permit whipped out a Bible from his pocket, fell to his knees and pleaded for clemency just before the court delivered its judgement.

Magistrate Joseph Mifsud was not impressed, remarking that although he relished Lenten pageantry, he did not appreciate such scenes in the courtroom.

Mr Akadoom was arrested after causing a scene in Valletta on March 17 and refused to obey police orders while allegedly drunk. 

The man was also accused of having caused the uproar while being drunk in public and while leading an idle and vagrant life. Moreover, he did all this while under the operative period of the suspended sentence delivered in February.

Magistrate Mifsud noted that Mr Akaadom was a relapser who just over a month ago had been involved in a similar tussle with the forces of law and order in St Joseph High Street, Ħamrun.

While acquitting the man of the charge of violent resistance to arrest, the court declared him guilty of all the other charges and brought into effect the former six-month suspended jail term. The man was also fined €850.

Addressing the director of prison, the court recommended that the accused be integrated into a productive work scheme during the time spent behind bars.

Once the prison sentence was served and bearing in mind that the accused had no financial meant he could possibly pose a "threat to public order", the court ordered the repatriation of Mr Akaadom to Italy or Ghana, his country of origin.