A prisoner with no fewer than 30 convictions was yesterday jailed for nine months after violently resisting police officers while in jail in 2006.

Jean Claude Cassar, 37, is currently serving a five-year term on drug related charges.

Before the incident occurred he had requested to speak to a police superintendent but when police officers came to escort him to the headquarters he refused to go and began insulting them.

The officers, Police Constable Cedric Mifsud and Sergeant Wistin Micallef, said he became so violent that members of the Special Response Team employed at the prison had to intervene.

Even after being put in handcuffs, he tried to assault PC Mifsud because he claimed the officer had attacked him in the past.

In his testimony, Mr Cassar said that following the incident he was placed in solitary confinement for two days. This was however disputed by the prison authorities and proved to be untrue because there were no records of it happening, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli said.

In her considerations, the magistrate said a report drawn up by a social worker had described Mr Cassar’s upbringing as difficult. He was subjected to excessive discipline and violence by his father who was a superintendent with the police Special Assignment Group.

According to the report, it was this behaviour that had laid the foundations of his anti-uniform, rebellious attitude. However, he was now in a stable relationship and had a child with his long-term girlfriend.

Taking into consideration his “voluminous” criminal record, the magistrate jailed him for nine months, highlighting that it was Mr Cassar who was almost completely to blame for the case taking so long, because he failed to turn up for sittings.

Magistrate Demicoli also placed PC Mifsud under a protection order for 12 months.

In a judgment handed down last year, in which he had jailed Mr Cassar for five years, Magistrate Marseann Farrugia noted that the accused had countless opportunities to reform and had no fewer than 30 convictions.