An inmate who seems to be reforming himself had a nine-month jail term reduced to three as a judge felt he should be given a last chance to stay in line.

Jean Claude Cassar, 39, got into an argument with two police officers, Constable Cedric Mifsud and Sergeant Wistin Micallef, at the prison on June 16, 2006, during which he violently resisted arrest and threatened them. He also told them: “Hit me and I will hurt you badly.”

He was sentenced to nine months behind bars in October 2012.

Certain experiences in childhood have made him the man he is today

Mr Cassar said in court he had been put in solitary confinement for 24 hours following the incident and so could not be punished twice for the same crime.

Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, sitting in the Appeals Court, said there was no evidence to prove Mr Cassar was already punished but, rather, he was made to pay for a separate incident when placed in solitary confinement.

The judge, however, felt the punishment should be changed not because the magistrate had made a mistake but only to help Mr Cassar on his way to leading a normal life.

He noted that Mr Cassar’s criminal record was not good but he had faced certain experiences in his childhood that had made him the man he was today.

He was now nearing the end of a jail term, had a job and was returning to prison every day, which showed that he had started his journey to reintegrate into society, Mr Justice Mizzi said.