A man who has been hooked on drugs since his mid-teens whilst struggling with money and anger problems was jailed for four months by a court, which said that he needed to understand that his troubles could not be resolved through violence. 

Andre’ Calleja, a 29-year-old Cospicua resident, was arraigned in July following a violent episode which took place in Ġnien Paul Boffa, Paola wherein he allegedly insulted and threatened a public official as well as his employer after complaining that he had not been paid his due wages. 

The man was also charged with carrying a knife without the necessary police licence, wilfully breaching the public peace and causing wilful damage to third-party property. 

He registered an admission upon arraignment and the court, presided over by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, upheld a request for a pre-sentencing report. 

A probation officer tasked with drawing up that report, subsequently testified that Calleja had been handed a suspended sentence over similar criminal behaviour towards a public official, barely three weeks before the latest incident. 

Yet, the man appeared to show no remorse, seeking instead to justify his actions by saying that he had financial problems because of his drug addiction. 

He had been abusing drugs since the age of 15, starting off with cocaine, then turning to heroin and later cannabis.

In fact, when sent to prison, the accused had tested positive for drugs, the court was told. 

Time and again he had sought help at Caritas and Sedqa but never entered rehabilitation. 

The accused also struggled with landing a job because of his facial tattoos. 

When all was considered, the probation officer recommended an effective jail term to not only ensure the accused’s safety but also to protect society in general. 

The man needed to seek help and prepare himself for a rehabilitation program. He also needed help to handle his anger problems, the probation officer said.

Faced with that assessment, the accused agreed.

The court condemned him to a 4-month effective jail term, observing that Calleja needed to understand once and for all that problems could not be solved through violence. 

He needed to seek help for his own good because drugs and other problems were landing him in trouble with the law, said the Magistrate, who also fined the accused €1,500 whilst issuing an 18-month restraining order that is to come into effect once punishment has been served. 

Finally, the court also banned the publication of all the victims' names so as to safeguard their identities. 

Inspector Gabriel Kitcher prosecuted.