A man who had to be restrained by six policemen when he tried to assault a magistrate in a court was “out of his mind” and “in hysterics”, a police inspector testified yesterday.
Police Inspector Johann Fenech recounted how inmate Pasqualino Cefai threatened to kill him and his entire family.
“I warned him to be quiet but he continued yelling and swearing. He threatened to kill me and my family. He told me that even though he is in prison, his brothers would still track me down,” Mr Fenech said, stammering with emotion.
Mr Cefai, 34, from Żebbuġ, Gozo, is serving seven years in jail over a stabbing in a Gozo courtroom in 2012. He stands charged with threatening to kill Magistrate Miriam Hayman and Mr Fenech and his family.
He is also charged with disobeying, resisting and assaulting several police officers, injuring a constable, breaching the peace, swearing in public and breaking a glass pane.
The incident took place in the courtroom at about 11am on October 2 when Magistrate Hayman ordered that a case against Mr Cefai continue even though his lawyer was not present. In a fit of rage, Mr Cefai was seen trying to approach the Bench.
Mr Fenech said he had tried to find Mr Cefai’s lawyer but he was nowhere to be seen and the magistrate instructed him to continue with the case. At one point, he went out of the courtroom to call the lawyer again and when he went back inside, he saw Mr Cefai charging towards the magistrate, swearing, shouting and waving his arms, threatening that he would find her outside court. Mr Cefai also tore off his jacket.
Asked by the defence why the police had proceeded with the case even though the lawyer was not present once there were other cases that could be heard, Mr Fenech said it was the court that made such decisions. He confirmed that the magistrate warned Mr Cefai several times about his behaviour and even raised her voice. This, the defence said, had “antagonised” Mr Cefai.
The magistrate also warned him that she would send him to the lock-up and continue hearing his case in his absence, Mr Fenech said.
Police Inspector Kevin Pulis, who was in the courtroom at the time, testified before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that he and another five police officers intervened to restrain Mr Cefai.
They managed to handcuff Mr Cefai and take him out of the courtroom.
When they took him to a cell in the basement of the law courts, he started hitting his head against “anything he came across”, the witness said.
Magistrate Demicoli ruled that there was enough evidence for Mr Cefai to be placed under a bill of indictment.
The case continues in December.
Police Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted.
Lawyers Edward Gatt and Noel Bianco appeared for the accused.