A man named ‘Angel’ was today charged over the brutal beating of an off-duty police officer yesterday afternoon.

Mr Attard, 40, from Vittoriosa, practices martial arts and has a history of road rage, a court was told.

The man was charged before Magistrate Anthony Vella.

Inspector Matthew Spagnol, prosecuting, said Mr Attard had wanted to disfigure the police officer’s face and had succeeded to do so. Constable Christian Agius (photo above), 26, had simply highlighted a traffic violation.

The police officer, who was in his personal car with his partner, also suffered a broken arm, according to the Police Officers Union. The alleged incident took place in the St Julian’s tunnels. The aggressor sped off but was arrested shortly after.  

During submissions on bail, the prosecution said the accused had no respect towards authority and was a repeat offender. The court heard how Mr Attard, a former prison inmate, had been involved in similar incidents in the past, including one occasion when he chased a bowser driver and assaulted him.  

Lawyer Carm Mifsud Bonnici, appearing for Mr Attard, said his client was self-employed with flexible hours and could therefore abide by strict bail conditions. The lawyer also pointed out that Mr Attard’s version of events had not yet been heard by the court, adding that the man had also been ‘manhandled.’

Bail was denied, with Magistrate Vella deciding that the accused did not offer sufficient guarantees to merit release from arrest.