A suspected thief who bit a policewoman when told that he was to be escorted to the Ħamrun police station has been granted bail pending a pre-sentencing report.

The incident happened on Tuesday morning when shop owners in Pietà approached the policewoman to report suspicious behaviour by a man who was seen roaming inside a shop. 

They claimed that it was not the first time that minor items had disappeared off the shelves. 

The officer spotted a man who appeared to match the description given by the shopkeepers and after taking a photo and confirming that it was indeed that same man, she approached him, asking for his identification documents.

However, the man, a 24-year-old Eritrean national, did not cooperate and said he had no documents to show. 

The officer called for assistance, telling the suspect that he was to be escorted to the nearby police station in a police vehicle. 

But at that point, the man turned aggressive, refusing to be handcuffed, shouting and swearing at the police. He then bit the officer on her right-hand finger. 

The man was later accompanied to a health centre for blood tests, given that he had bitten the victim. He also needed medication from hospital for a mental health condition. 

On Wednesday, Temeseghen Teclehaimanot Keleta was escorted to court and charged with breaching public order, violently resisting and assaulting the officer, injuring, insulting and threatening her while she was carrying out her duties. 

The court heard that Keleta had traveled to Malta on holiday and was staying with his brother, who has been living and working locally for six years.

Assisted by two interpreters and two lawyers, the man, who holds a Dutch residence permit, registered an admission when charged. 

Defence lawyer Jason Grima explained that the accused had a serious drug problem.He had taken drugs before the incident and in fact had no recollection whatsoever about what had happened.

For this reason, punishment ought to address that problem and the accused’s rehabilitation, said the lawyer. 

Prosecuting Inspectors Mark Cremona pointed out that the accused had a clean criminal record and later cooperated.

“Perhaps it was an unfortunate incident,” said the prosecutor.

However, the prosecution objected to bail in view of the accused’s lack of ties in Malta and the fear of absconding. 

After hearing that the accused’s brother had a stable job and fixed residence and that he was helping the accused with his mental health issues, the court, presided over by magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, granted bail. 

The accused was to sign the bail book twice a day, not leave home between 8:30pm and 7:00am, pay a deposit of €500 and bind himself under a €4500 personal guarantee. 

The court also ordered a pre-sentencing report. 

Inspector Ian Vella also prosecuted.Lawyers Noel Bianco and Jason Grima were defence counsel.