Paschalino Cefai, notorious for a string of crimes in Gozo, has been charged with aggravated possession of cocaine and with trying to flee the police.

The court heard on Saturday how the 44-year-old from Zebbuġ, Gozo was stopped in a car where he was a passenger on January 25 in Marsa. The car, which had heavily tinted windows, had an expired road licence and insurance.

The woman was asked to step out of the car but Cefai remained seated in the passenger seat. While the police spoke to the woman driver, Cefai sneaked out of the car, ran to the driver's side and tried to drive off. He was promptly stopped in the act.

When the police searched the car, they found 14 grams of cocaine inside a bag in a jacket on the car’s back seat.

Cefai appeared before Magistrate Leonard Caruana charged with possession of cocaine found in circumstances denoting it was not for personal use as well as with trying to flee from the scene, resisting the police and disobeying their orders.

He was further charged with relapsing and with breaching the conditions of a previous release since he was out on bail over other crimes. He was accused of breaching the bail conditions imposed in April 2022, in a case in which he stands charged with his involvement in an alleged hold-up in Naxxar with two accomplices.

Defence lawyers asked Magistrate Caruana to release their client on bail, arguing that the alleged incident was caught on the police bodycams so the evidence was preserved. However, police inspector Mark Cremona countered that there were civilian witnesses who still had to testify in the case.

The court turned down the request since Cefai did not offer the guarantees that he would respect bail conditions is released. He was remanded in custody. 

Lawyers Charles Mercieca, Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel.

Cefai is synonymous with various crimes in Gozo, and was once described by a judge as a person who “terrorised Gozo” with his constant aggressive attitude.

In 2012, he stabbed a man inside a courtroom and was given a seven-year jail sentence.

He was back in court in August last year, after he seriously injured a man who tried to rob him. In that case, the court heard how a robber entered the residence of the notorious Gozitan criminal but ended up leaving empty-handed and with serious facial injuries when the two got into a fight.

Correction January 27, 2024: A previous version stated that Cefai was charged in Gozo.