A man with a string of 120 convictions has been jailed for a year and fined €200 after having, in 2008, made his way into Birzebbuga police station where he threatened and shouted insults at a number of officers and waved a knife at them when he was about to be arrested.

In handing down judgement, the court noted that Joseph Zahra, 61 of Hal Far, had 120 convictions between 1963 and 2008 for which punishment had included imprisonment.

The court said the accused needed to understand that that his issues were his own making and he should not go about blaming the police or the court.

He needed to understand that he was now over 61, life was short and he could not continue to behave in this way.

He also needed to understand that the authorities had a job to do and he needed to behave well, or face the consequences as he would in this case.

The court said, however, that it would show an element of mercy by inflicting a penalty which was close to the minimum when the maximum was more than five years imprisonment.

The court said that is wanted to convey the message that whoever made mistakes like the accused had to realise he had done wrong and the punishment had to serve as a deterrent.

At the same time, the punishment should serve for the accused to be able to embark on the proper road in society.

The court hoped that the accused would not lose this opportunity and he would re-integrate himself in society after serving his prison term.