Flag-throwing youth handed suspended sentence

A 24-year-old man from Cospicua was condemned to five months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months and given a fine of €800, after he was found guilty of throwing a flag at police officers during the St Dominic’s feast band march.

Andre Massa was arraigned before magistrate Doreen Clarke and accused of having, on 8 August 2014, attacked, resisted and insulted two police constables.

He was also accused of insulting or threatening the officers and three other policemen.

Massa was additionally charged with failing to obey police orders, making obscene gestures in public and, as a public service employee, committing a crime when he was in duty bound to prevent.

The man admitted to all charges, bar that of attacking the two officers.

Magistrate Clarke was told how the incident occurred as the march met in front of the band club and Massa threw a flag, which struck the police officer, who was not injured in the incident.

When Inspector Frankie Sammut signalled to the accused that he had spotted his actions, the youth started shouting and making obscene gestures.

When the march was over, Massa was asked to go to the police station where he got into an argument with the inspector.

A number of other witnesses testified to seeing the flag thrower.

In the light of this testimony, the magistrate found Massa guilty of all charges he had admitted to and sentenced him to five months imprisonment, which he will serve if he commits another offence in the next 18 months. A fine of €800 was also imposed.