A man was on Thursday granted bail after being charged with assaulting police officers at the Żejtun police station.

Kevin Borg, 45, appeared before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit and pleaded not guilty to threatening and assaulting three police officers and damaging a magnet of an officer's bodycam on February 9.

The man, from Għaxaq, was also charged with simple cannabis possession and relapsing.

Police Inspector Wayne Bonello testified how a magistrate had issued a court order to arrest Borg because he failed to turn up for traffic sittings.

When Borg went to sign the bail book at the  Żejtun police station on February 9, police officers informed him that an arrest warrant had been issued in his regard, and he was under arrest.

He resisted arrest. 

Meanwhile, police officers went to Borg's vehicle, parked in front of the police station, to turn off the car engine, as he had left the ignition on.

That is when the officer smelt cannabis. His car was searched in his presence and the officers found cannabis in the vehicle. 

But Borg complained of ill health and was taken to hospital. He then attended the traffic sitting according to the court order and on February 11 was informed about his re-arrest due to the police assault charges.

Borg’s lawyer Franklyn Calleja told the court that while at the police station, the accused wanted to go home to get pills because he suffered from a condition where he did not function without medication.

He said this was caught on the bodycam which showed him tell police he would go get his pills and return. 

Borg was granted bail against a €500 deposit and a personal guarantee of €5,000.

A protection order was issued binding him not to approach the officers he allegedly assaulted.