Libyan makes spectacle of himself in court after lawyer no-show

A routine arraignment for a breach of bail conditions descended into a spectacle earlier today, when the person arraigned launched into a confused rant after his lawyer failed to turn up, accusing the presiding Magistrate and a police inspector of forming part of the mafia.

Shouting “Allahu akbar” at the top of his voice, the Libyan man was heard to exclaim that his human rights had been breached and that he had suffered beatings at the hands of the police.

The man suffered a meltdown upon being told that his lawyer could not attend the sitting before Magistrate Gabriella Vella, shouting “you are all Mafiosi!”

Legal aid lawyer Yana Micallef Stafrace was appointed defence counsel by the court. She requested bail, but this was denied.

This development did not go down well with the accused, who cursed the Prime Minister and accused the Maltese people of living off funds given by the deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Order was eventually restored after police escorted the man out of the courtroom, the accused being heard to continue to bellow as the doors of the lift to the court lockup closed.

The case continues on Wednesday.