Paul Allen Sneddon leaving court yesterday after being accused of assaulting two police officers. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

A Briton yesterday accused the police of having assaulted him and then handing him a copy of the Yellow Pages and inviting him to choose a lawyer.

Paul Allen Sneddon, 33, from St Paul’s Bay, told a court that he was assaulted by police officers on Sunday during the summer carnival in his hometown.

The police say that it was he who attacked them, slightly injuring an inspector.

During his arraignment, Mr Sneddon was overheard telling his court-appointed legal aid lawyer, Christopher Chircop, that he had been choked to near unconsciousness and also suffered various other injuries.

He told the court that when he was offered the Yellow Pages he said he wanted a lawyer who enjoyed his trust, not some random person from a phone book.

The outspoken Mr Sneddon had to be told twice to keep quiet and not to “insult” Magistrate Marseann Farrugia by speaking over her.

At one point, Mr Sneddon’s girlfriend Agnes Kobe, a secretary with a law firm in Poland, stood up and tried to speak but was unceremoniously thrown out.

Police Inspector Godwin Scerri gave a diametrically opposed version of what happened, saying that the victim, Police Inspector Maurice Curmi, had his hands full dealing with the carnival when he was approached by Mr Sneddon.

The accused told him he was being threatened by someone and insisted that the inspector leave his post and accompany him but the inspector told him to go the nearest police station to file a report.

At that point Mr Sneddon became aggressive and began swearing at the inspector, who demanded his particulars, which turned out to be false.

An argument broke out and the accused attacked the inspector, causing slight injuries to his neck.

When Police Sergeant Ivan Mifsud arrived to help out, Mr Sneddon also attacked him, the inspector said.

At the start of the arraignment, Magistrate Farrugia asked him if he could afford a lawyer and why he had refused one.

He said he only made between €700 and €800 a month and did not know if he could afford one.

He pleaded not guilty to slightly injuring Inspector Curmi and PS Mifsud at 9.30pm in Pioneer Road, St Paul’s Bay, violently resisting arrest, causing damage to a police car, disobeying orders, breaching the peace and refusing to give his particulars.

In pleas on bail, the inspector objected to the accused being released, arguing that he was not trustworthy and might abscond.

Mr Sneddon was a danger to society and himself and would need to be examined by a psychologist, the officer said.

He added that when it came to his injuries, the accused had been involved in a car accident that same day.

When he heard this, Mr Sneddon gasped and said “What?” I’m not insane.”

Dr Chircop said his client worked in Malta and his girlfriend also lived here.

Magistrate Farrugia remanded him in custody.

‘Officers need insurance’

The Malta Police Association yesterday reiterated calls for policemen to be covered by insurance in a statement deploring the attacks on officers over the weekend.

The association said it strongly condemned the incidents and welcomed the fact that penalties against those convicted of assaulting policemen and other public officers had been increased.

It said that it hoped the defendants in the latest incidents would receive appropriate punishment.

In calling for the members of the police to be covered by insurance, the association pointed out that those officers who were injured on duty were not paid for the outlay they made on medicines or loss of earnings.

In a separate statement, the General Workers Union expressed solidarity with Inspector Curmi and Sergeant Mifsud and said it was unacceptable that officers were injured on the job.

The GWU, and its affiliate the Police Officers Union, called for immediate remedies to protect members of the force during the performance of their duties.