Eritrean man jailed for assaulting Police officers

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Eritrean man jailed for assaulting Police officers
By MaltaMedia News
Jan 5, 2007, 18:25

A 25-year-old Eritrean man, Habtom Tesema Berhea, was jailed for eight months on Friday after being found guilty of assaulting two Police officers on the evening of 9th May 2006 in St. Julian's. The Eritrean man had been involved in the incident along with 26-year-old Somali Omar Osman Olmar, who was jailed after being found guilty of similar charges last August.

While Habtom Tesema Berhea was sentenced to eight months in prison, he will effectively be jailed for one year and eight months, as a one year suspended sentence he was given over similar charges enters into effect.

The Eritrean refugee was found guilty of resisting Police orders and assaulting two Police officers on a bus. He was also found guilty of damaging their uniform and radio equipment.

During the hearing of Omar Osman Olmar's case in court last August witnesses had said that they saw the Somali man push Police officials on a bus while drunk.

As Habtom Tesema Berhea starts serving the eight month sentence he was handed down on Friday, a one-year suspended sentence for assaulting a Police sergeant at Marsa Open Centre in February 2006 also comes into effect.

The prosecution was led by Police Inspectors Martin Sammut and Carmelo Abdilla.

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