A man serving life behind bars for killing a policeman during an armed robbery has been jailed for a further five years after he tried smuggling drugs into prison in 2005.

Andy Calleja, 34, admitted to being in possession of almost five grams of cannabis and nearly 20 grams of heroin. The drugs were found hidden in his underpants when he was strip searched at the Kordin prison.

A monument in the late PC Roger Debattista's honour.

The court heard that there was enough cannabis to prepare 24 doses and enough heroin to prepare almost 100 doses.

Mr Calleja is serving a life sentence for the 2001 murder of police constable Roger Debattista. Mr Debattista was shot during a hold-up at the BOV branch in Ta' Farsina in Qormi. The first shot fired by Mr Calleja was not fatal, but he shot him again in the stomach.

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia was not impressed by Mr Calleja’s guilty plea, as this plea had been changed late in the proceedings and it was obvious the accused was trying to benefit from some kind of reduction in punishment.

In handing down judgment, Magistrate Farrugia noted Mr Calleja’s 12 previous convictions, ranging from driving offences and theft to homicide.

She jailed him for five years and fined €4,000.