Violent incidents in Paceville were a daily occurrence, happening almost every hour and sometimes within minutes, a police officer said yesterday.

The same officer, Police Inspector Nikolai Sant, noted on Monday, during the arraignment of a student accused of threatening the police with a knife, that “these are the types of students and tourists we are bringing to Malta and what the police have to deal with every day”.

Oscar Vidal Morata, a 30-year-old Spaniard, yesterday admitted to punching an officer and breaking the €300 mobile phone of another policeman in a fracas after the officers told him and his friends not to be so noisy and to stop swearing in public.

Arraigning Mr Morata, Mr Sant told Magistrate Francesco Depasquale such incidents in Paceville were happening every day, at every hour and almost minutes apart. “These people just do not know how to have fun without causing problems”, he said.

He said Mr Morata was in the entertainment hub with a group of friends who were very noisy and swore in Spanish using a well-known phrase. The two officers approached them telling them to calm down. An argument ensued and a fracas broke out during which Mr Morata punched one of the policemen and damaged the other’s mobile phone, he said.

Mr Sant noted that Mr Morata had cooperated with the police during investigations.

Legal aid lawyer Yana Stafrace Zammit told the magistrate her client was very sorry for what he had done, adding that he admitted at an early stage of the proceedings and was ready to pay for the damages.

The magistrate insisted on a formal apology from the accused, who immediately told the prosecuting officer: “I’m sorry”.

In handing down a one-year jail term suspended for four years, the magistrate told Mr Morata he had no problem with him coming to Malta and having fun but what he had done was serious. “You would not expect me to do in Spain what you did here and vice-versa,” the magistrate added.