A man was jailed for two months and fined €3,000 after a court found him guilty of animal cruelty and assaulting police officers he called to his home.

Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia noted that the accused, Joseph Zahra, had a criminal record that was 109 pages long and was “a litany of different offences.”

Zahra was found guilty of animal cruelty, threatening police officers and relapsing. 

The court heard how on November 2, 2019, Zahra asked police to go to his house because he feared that his son, with whom he had disagreements, was going there and there would be issues.

Police went there and found Zahra and his son arguing.

While there, Zahra threatened the officers on site and was arrested.

His son told police that there were birds in a bad state and police found various birds in run-down and dirty cages. Some were dead.

In light of the circumstances, the magistrate jailed Zahra for two months and fined him €3,000. She noted that he had threatened the police officers after he had asked them to go to his home to protect him.

Superintendent Melvyn Camilleri prosecuted.