A man whose car stalled without fuel right in the middle of St Anne Street in Floriana threatened to discharge the barrel of a gun on a police officer who was towing his car away, a court has heard.

The man, however, is insisting that he was drunk on the day and did not know what he was doing. 

Anthony Borg, 39, from St Paul’s Bay, is charged with violently resisting arrest, threatening officers, driving under the influence of alcohol and without insurance as well as a list of traffic offences.

Magistrate Josette Demicoli heard how police officers came across Mr Borg’s Mercedes in St Anne Street on the morning of 1 August.

The car was empty and unlocked and, after searching for its owner, a police tow truck was called.

As the car was being loaded, Mr Borg turned up with a petrol can in hand and started shouting at the officers. After displaying threatening behaviour he was handcuffed. 

Sergeant Dunstan Camilleri, from the police traffic section, told the court that the car had UK registration plates even though it was imported in 2011.

“Mr Borg was making allegations about me. Later on, at the Valletta police station, he turned to one of my colleagues and asked for a revolver so that he could shoot me,” he said.

Sergeant Camilleri added that Mr Borg also refused to take a breathalyser test.

At the end of the sitting the defendant told Magistrate Josette Demicoli that he was drunk and did not remember what had happened. He also asked the court for help with his alcohol problem.

He was again denied bail.

The case continues.

Martin Fenech represented the man.