Almost one year before his arrest on suspicion of murdering taxi driver Mario Farrugia, Elliot Paul Busuttil was involved in another incident which resulted in criminal action against his father.

Details about that incident emerged in court on Tuesday when three police officers testified against Busuttil’s father, Spiro, who allegedly assaulted them and tried to block them in the exercise of their duties  on June 2, 2021.

That evening at around 8.30pm, three officers from Birkirkara police station were instructed to escort Elliot who was being detained at the Naxxar police station pending investigations over a report.

They were told to accompany the man to his parents’ Attard home and to search the residence for knives and possibly, illegal substances.

So they handcuffed Elliot and headed to Attard.

He was aggressive from the start, complaining because he was handcuffed and saying that he had had nothing to eat since being detained all day.

On the way, the officers tried to explain that handcuffs were normal procedure, but  Elliot complained, speaking in an offensive manner and behaving rather aggressively, the officers told the court. 

When they reached the family apartment, the search party first entered a room where the suspect’s mother slept, mistaking it for Elliot’s own room.

Elliot, “somewhat irritated”, pointed out his room, whilst taking it out against one of the officers, sergeant Charlon Borg, calling him names and verbally threatening him.

“Kiesah. Infittxek. Insibek barra,” he told him. 

The search proved negative.

Again Elliot complained that he was hungry and since his mother offered to prepare him a quick bite, the officers permitted that.

But still, Elliot complained because the police would not remove his handcuffs while he ate.

“We refused because he was somewhat agitated,” testified the second officer, sergeant Mark Schembri.

That was when a commotion broke out.

Elliot’s father, Spiro, and brother Glen, joined in, hurling offensive remarks and verbal threats at the officers.

As the policemen tried to escort Elliot out of the flat, his parents allegedly tried to stop them.

The father allegedly pushed the officers, while Elliot refused to be escorted away.

Police bodycam damaged, footage lost

In the scuffle, one of the officers’ bodycam, which was filming the whole incident, got dislodged.

Elliot insisted that he would not leave until that camera was recovered.

When the situation finally calmed down, the camera was found inside the apartment but not in the same spot where it was originally dropped.

The device had a large hole on the side “as though someone had slammed it on the floor,” testified the officers.

Being made of hard material, it would not have suffered such damage had it simply fallen off, the court was told.

At the time of the incident, the camera was switched on.

Asked about the footage, Sergeant Borg explained that according to the police technical department, that footage could not be retrieved because of the damage caused to the camera.

Police had even sought assistance from abroad, but to no avail, the witness said.

The case continues in December.

Inspector Roxanne Tabone prosecuted.

Lawyer Ishmael Psaila is defence counsel.