A man serving time over a stabbing in a Gozo courtroom two years ago threatened to kill a magistrate and a police inspector and his family, a court heard yesterday.

Pasqualino Cefai, 34, of Żebbuġ, Gozo, is facing charges over another courtroom incident which happened last Thursday, this time involving Magistrate Miriam Hayman, whom he is accused of threatening and insulting.

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.

Magistrate Hayman told the police about the death threats during their investigation into the incident, Sergeant Duncan Demicoli testified yesterday in the compilation of evidence against Mr Cefai, who is in prison for the multiple stabbing of a man seeking repayment of a debt in 2012.

He resisted arrest ...and even tore up his own jacket

“As I was investigating the case, Magistrate Hayman told me that Mr Cefai threatened to kill her and that he also threatened to kill Police Inspector Johann Fenech and his family,” he said.

After being taken down to the lock-up beneath the law courts, Mr Cefai, in a fit of rage, smashed a mirror and injured himself after banging his head against a locker, the sergeant testified.

PC Ryan Ungaro Mifsud testified that Mr Cefai lost his temper when the magistrate fined him for contempt of court after he complained that his lawyer had not yet arrived in the courtroom. She had already warned him not to speak to her.

“She ordered him out of her courtroom and he started shouting, telling the magistrate that she would pay for it and that she was leaving his children without any money to buy food,” the constable said.

“He attempted to assault the magistrate but we managed to restrain him. He resisted arrest and he pushed us and even tore up his own jacket. By that time, the magistrate had entered her chambers and told us to arrest him and take him outside.”

Mr Ungaro Mifsud said that as soon as Mr Cefai was handcuffed, he heard him warning Inspector Fenech that he would pay for it and to remember that his (Cefai’s) siblings were outside the courtroom.

Mr Cefai then turned to him and told him that he would “pull his eyes out” if he were to handcuff him again.

Throughout yesterday’s sitting before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli, Mr Cefai sat in the dock handcuffed. His lawyer said that a change in the law was required to prohibit cases from being heard when lawyers were not present in court.

He also complained that many people were making negative comments about his client, with some saying he should be locked up and the key thrown away.

In his judgment over the stabbing case, Mr Justice Michael Mallia in June said Mr Cefai had “terrorised Gozo”.

Mr Cefai had been found guilty of stabbing Joseph Portelli at least 14 times and seriously injuring him but was cleared of attempted murder.

Mr Cefai was seeking to prevent Mr Portelli from executing a warrant of seizure of two trucks which had been demanded as payment for an outstanding debt of €10,000.

The case continues. Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted while Lawyers Edward Gatt and Noel Bianco represented Mr Cefai.