A man had to be held by at least six policemen as he tried to assault and threaten to kill a magistrate in a courtroom earlier this month, the court heard today.

Police Inspector Kevin Pulis told Magistrate Audrey Demicoli how on October 2, he and another five police officers intervened to restrain Pasqualino Cefai when he tried to assault Magistrate Miriam Hayman who was presiding over his case.

He was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Mr Cefai, 34, of Zebbug, who is charged with threatening to kill the magistrate and Police Inspector Johann Fenech and his family.

He is also charged with disobeying, resisting and assaulting several police officers, injuring a constable, breaching the peace, swearing in public and breaking a glass pane.

Mr Cefai is serving a seven-year jail term over a stabbing incident in a Gozo courtroom two years ago.

Inspector Pulis said he and the other police officers managed to handcuff Mr Cefai and get him out of the courtroom.

When they took him to a cell in the basement of the Law Courts, he began banging his head against the wall in a fit of rage.

The inspector said he attempted to find Mr Cefai's lawyer but he was nowhere to be seen so the magistrate instructed him to continue with the case.

At one point, he went out of the courtroom again to call lawyer Edward Gatt and when he went back inside, he found Mr Cefai walking towards the magistrate's bench, swearing and shouting and waving his arms, threatening that he will find her outside court.

He was alone at the time but two other inspectors walked in and, along with other policemen, they managed to restrain Mr Cefai.

At the end of today's sitting, Magistrate Demicoli ruled that there was enough evidence for Mr Cefai to be placed under a bill of indictment.

The case continues in December.