Man who damaged crucifix placed under probation

A man has been put on probation for three years for vilifying the Catholic religion when he lost his temper at the Mosta police station, overturned a table and damaged a crucifix displayed in a niche.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman heard how on December 1, 2002, Mark Anthony Farrugia had been involved in an argument in a bar where he had been drinking.

When he left the bar he crashed his car into another vehicle and was later taken to the Mosta police station where he initially cooperated with the police. But when officers called Mr Farrugia's relative to call at the police station he became aggressive.

He overturned a table and damaged a crucifix in a niche at the station and also damaged the uniform and personal items of a police sergeant and a constable who intervened to control him.

Magistrate Hayman found Mr Farrugia, 30, of Dingli, guilty of vilifying the Catholic religion, which is the religion of Malta, when he caused Lm172 damage to the crucifix and the niche, threatening and assaulting the police sergeant and constable, damaging the sergeant's uniform and the constable's spectacles and pen and breaching the peace and relapsing.

Mr Farrugia was, however, cleared of damaging a monument set up by a public authority as it had not been proven that the crucifix has been placed there by such an authority.

Police Inspector Pio Pisani prosecuted.

Lawyer Mark Busuttil appeared for Mr Farrugia.