Former prison director’s suspended sentence confirmed on appeal

Former prison director Robert Brincau’s conviction over a gun incident at Ghadira in 2022 has been confirmed on appeal.

Brincau has been convicted of threatening a man with a handgun and slightly injuring him during an argument at the beach.

Brincau, 49, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for three years over the August 2022 incident at Għadira.

Just after the judgment was delivered on Tuesday morning, Brincau resigned his post and the Home Affairs Ministry immediately appointed Christopher Siegersma. Brincau had subsequently lodged an appeal.

Inspector Ryan Vella had charged Brincau with slight bodily harm, threatening a man with a weapon, insulting and threatening the man, carrying an unlicensed firearm in public, being armed during the commission of an offence and breaching the peace, in connection with the 21 August incident at Għadira Bay.

Witnesses had described to the court how the prison director had allegedly threatened an ambulance crew with a handgun in an incident apparently motivated by commercial rivalry between the ambulance service provider and the Malta Red Cross, which Brincau had been the director of.

On Wednesday, the Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Madam Justice Natasha Galea Sciberras, rejected the appeal and confirmed the suspended sentence. It was explained to the appellant that the sentence would run from today.

A restraining order which had been imposed by the first court, and confirmed on appeal, would also be running from today.

AG lawyer Etienne Savona prosecuted.