A minor dispute between a police officer and a 37-year-old man ended with the latter being fined €850 but granted conditional discharge by the court.

On the morning of 15 March 2015, Patrick Scibberas, from St Paul’s Bay, was waiting for a friend to pick him up from a bus stop in his home town. Another woman accompanied him, as the two had been out drinking.

It was then that a police officer, W.Vella, approached the bus stop and allegedly, Mr Scibberas called the officer ‘a frying pan’ and a dispute started.  Officer Vella then asked the Rapid Intervention Unit to assist him on scene.

Eventually, Mr Sciberras was allowed to leave with a friend, who had since arrived to pick him up.

He was arraigned in court today, charged with threatening the police officer, not obeying orders, breaching public order and relapsing.

In court, Mr Sciberras insisted that he did not commit the crimes he was charged with and that the police were making an issue out of nothing. His female friend also denied that he had passed any disrespectful comments towards the policemen.

Defence Lawyer Franco Debono said the case was 'trivial' and merely a storm in a teacup. The prosecution stuck to the police report, and the court ordered conditional discharge and Mr Sciberras to be fined €850.

Magistrate Charmaine Galea presided.