Dishwasher accused of assaulting police at Ħamrun procession

A 26-year-old man who allegedly grabbed a police officer by the neck during the Corpus Christi procession in Ħamrun has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.

Bereket Ghebremedhin, an Eritrean national with an unknown fixed address who works as a dishwasher, appeared in court on Saturday afternoon for having allegedly assaulted two police officers and threatened them for no apparent reason.

Police inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa explained that on Friday, the Corpus Christi procession was held in Ħamrun and as it usually happens, officers were detailed to the public procession.

Some people approached two officers who were outside the shopping complex on St Joseph High Street and asked for assistance.

The officers followed the individuals on foot, with one of them walking faster than the other officer.

Out of nowhere, Ghebremedhin hit the faster-walking officer and grabbed him by the neck. The man resisted arrest and was only subdued when a third officer who came to assist sprayed him with pepper spray.

An ambulance was called; however, the accused refused to go to hospital. The police took him to a health centre, where a doctor confirmed he was not injured.

The accused was then taken to the police lock-up and allegedly began yelling and spat in one of the officers’ faces as he was being registered, the court heard.

The man was seen by another doctor and certified fit.

In court, the accused was accused of assaulting a police constable causing him slight injuries as well as threatening him and breaching the public peace in Ħamrun.

He was further accused of assaulting and threatening a police constable at the Police Headquarters.

He denied the charges.

Legal aid lawyer Silvan Pulis requested bail.

The police inspector objected, saying that the man had shown no remorse or given any justification for why he behaved in that way. She underlined that he was not trustworthy, since he even attacked another officer under arrest.

Pulis countered the arguments, saying that remorse was not a ground for denying him bail. He also argued that the man lives with his friends in Marsascala and risked losing his job. The lawyer said that there was no risk of tampering with the evidence since his client did not know the police. He also suggested that the accused and a third party had been arguing and the policeman ended up in the middle of it.

After hearing the submissions, the court denied the man bail, saying it could not trust that he would be located if allowed out.

The man was remanded in custody.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella presided.

Police inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa prosecuted.

Legal aid lawyer Silvan Pulis assisted the accused.