Man charged with slightly injuring two police officers during Mqabba FC party
47-year-old insists he was dragged across the ground by officer
A 47-year-old man on Monday pleaded not guilty to assaulting and slightly injuring a police sergeant and a constable during a football celebration on Saturday.
Jerry Ghigo from Mqabba was arraigned before Magistrate Charmaine Grima where he was also accused of insulting and threatening the two officers, disobeying legitimate police orders, damaging a police motorcycle, the constable’s uniform, as well as being drunk in public.
Prosecuting inspector Andrew Agius Bonello explained that police sergeant Luke Grima was driving to Ta’ Kandja when he came across a party on a truck. The party was being held after Mqabba was promoted to the National Amateur League 1.
The police stopped the truck. An argument broke out between those celebrating and the officer, who sought back up.
Agius Bonello said the situation was about to calm down, before someone re-ignited the argument. The prosecuting inspector added that the sergeant allegedly saw the accused knocking the police motorcycle to the ground.
Defence lawyer Franco Debono suggested that the defence had a video showing the police sergeant still wearing his crash helmet and “dragging” the man along the ground.
“You have a video and we have another,” the lawyer said.
Agius Bonello said the police sergeant followed the man back into the crowd to inform him he was under arrest. The accused allegedly resisted the arrest.
In court it also emerged that the moment the motorcycle was knocked to the ground, the bodycam was focused on another area.
Debono suggested his client immediately denied pushing the motorcycle, with the prosecuting inspector confirming and adding that the man insisted he was innocent.
The defence lawyer added that the sergeant grabbed the man, dragged him to the ground, and at one point both fell to the ground.
Agius Bonello said the sergeant “put him down”, but added tha he himself was not on site at the time of the incident.
Bail was requested.
The prosecution objected saying that they were still investigating the case and not everyone involved has been identified.
Debono rebutted the arguments saying that his client had been celebrating Mqabba’s promotion when at some point the police stopped them.
“Someone decided that it was our client who knocked the motorcycle and he protested his innocence,” Debono underlined.
The court granted the man bail against €5,000 deposit and a €10,000 personal guarantee.
He was ordered to sign the bail book once a week.
The man cannot go to Mqabba football club and cannot watch the team train or play.
Police inspector Andrew Agius Bonello prosecuted.
Lawyer Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit assisted the accused.