A 24-year-old who caused a ruckus in Balzan, which led to the firing of a warning shot by police after he injured two constables and damaged a police car, yesterday appeared in court, sporting a bruised nose.

Joseph Compagno, 24, of no fixed address, had to be wrestled to the ground by police officers on Sunday after he ignored a warning shot, injured two officers and then proceeded to damage a Mobile Squad police car and the village police station – brandishing a knife and a metal bar in the process.

Compagno pleaded not guilty to slightly injuring two constables in the process, causing over Lm500 in damage to a Mobile Squad Ford Focus and the police station itself. He was also accused of resisting arrest, threatening officers and civilians, disobeying police orders, being indecent in public, breaching the peace, being drunk and disorderly and being in possession of unlicensed weapons. He was also accused of swearing in public and using vulgar language, relapsing and breaching conditional releases. The prosecution, led by police inspector Kevin Farrugia, also pressed for monetary damages and to provide for the well-being of the two officers involved.

Insp. Gatt objected against granting of bail, pointing out that the accused assaulted police with a knife and metal bar, incurring the need for a warning shot to be fired. This still did not deter him, said the inspector. Insp. Farrugia said the accused had no fixed address and he was worried about the safety of civilians that are yet to testify. The court, presided over by Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna refused the bail request.

Dr Beppe Fenech Adami appeared for the accused.