The man who toppled and destroyed the 200-year-old mother-of-pearl crucifix at the Ta’ Giezu Church in Valletta was yesterday absolved of criminal responsibility since he was in a state of insanity at the time of the commission of the crime.

Magistrate Abigail Lofaro handed down this decision after the court-appointed psychiatrists concluded that the man was insane at the time of commission of the crimes.

The 33-year-old Indian man born in the UK, Krishanu Bhattacharjee, pleaded not guilty to wilfully damaging the 200-year-old mother-of-pearl crucifix at Ta’ Giezu Church. He was also charged with vilifying the Roman Catholic Apostolic religion through his actions and disturbing a religious ceremony.

During the compilation of evidence, the court heard how the man told friars that their God was a God of violence seconds after toppling the crucifix.

The court experts came to the conclusion that the “defendant is a young man who suffered an acute psychotic episode with frank schizophrenic symptoms.

This has made him react in a way that he needed to leave the United Kingdom and subsequently go to Ireland and later to Malta where he later reacted to his psychotic delusions.”

The experts concluded that “at the time of the alleged crime the defendant did not have any insight into his mental illness and he was under the direct influence of his psychotic delusions. In view of his psychotic episode, he did not have control over his wishes and intentions”.

As a result of this conclusion, magistrate Lofaro ruled that the accused was insane at the time of the commission of the offences and was therefore exempt from criminal responsibility. She ordered that the accused be held in custody at the Mount Carmel Mental Hospital.

Police inspectors Joseph Mercieca and Alfred Mallia prosecuted while Dr Vincent Galea represented the accused.