A man was acquitted of three charges but was fined Lm25 for disobeying police orders.

Emanuel Degiorgio, 54, was charged with failing to obey police orders and assaulting a policeman at the Zabbar police station. He was also accused of changing the key lock of his wife’s house door and stealing her car.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, heard how the man had been placed under house arrest in Cospicua, away from his matrimonial house in Marsascala.

He was arrested after his wife filed a police report that she found the key lock of her house door changed and her car gone.

The man was detained at the Zabbar Police Station and asked permission to relieve himself. A policeman stood on guard outside of the metal bathroom door and Degiorgio pushed the door, consequently also the policeman, and fled from the station.

In delivering her judgment, Magistrate Scerri Herrera said there was no evidence indicating that Degiorgio changed the key lock. She also said that the car belonged to a company in which Degiorgio’s wife was a shareholder and given the community of acquests, Degiorgio also owned the car.

The magistrate also held that Degiorgio’s actions at the police station were not tantamount to assaulting the police.

She acquitted the man of three charges and fined him Lm25 for disobeying police orders.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera also criticised the Attorney General for failing to accuse Degiorgio of escaping from custody.

Police Inspector Anthony Cassar prosecuted while lawyer Anglu Farrugia was defence counsel.