A man who assaulted civil servants after they apprehended him for charges relating to the use of illicit drugs has been sentenced to one year in prison.
The unemployed 37-year-old Bahraini was on trial at the High Criminal Court for allegedly biting a policeman and slamming another officer’s head against a wall.
He was earlier convicted of assaulting a public employee in 2010 and received a five-year prison sentence. In 2014, he was again found guilty of attacking a civil servant and was sentenced to seven months behind bars.
The most recent incident took place in January, when the defendant was accused of charges relating to the use of illicit drugs and had to be brought from detention to the Public Prosecution for questioning.
The police officer who was assaulted testified that he was waiting for a decision regarding the defendant’s pre-trial detention and was informed that it would be renewed for a further seven days.
Following protocol, he was taken to a room designated for remanded individuals, awaiting transportation to jail.
The Bahraini suddenly assaulted the officer and his colleague, slamming his head against a wall. They tried to calm him down, but he retaliated with great force.
The colleague testified that the man bit him on the shoulder leaving a bloody wound, with a report stating that human bite marks were found on his back and shoulder.
The defendant later told the Public Prosecution that he assaulted the policemen only to pay them back for hitting him.
During a hearing on June 8, the accused’s lawyer said that the defendant was mentally unstable and asked judges to order a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he could be held responsible for his actions.
He told judges that his client suffered from mental illnesses including generalised anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
However, the defendant was declared fit to stand trial by a panel of psychiatrists, who found that he did not suffer from mental impairments that would prevent him from being held accountable for his actions.
Although the insanity plea failed, the attorney, during a session on Wednesday, once again tried to convince judges that the defendant did what he did due to mental illnesses, and was also under the influence of prescription medication.
The lawyer also claimed that his client has been receiving treatment for these conditions since 2022 and taking prescription medications.
He went on to claim that the medications had physical and psychological effects that caused involuntary movements, and what he did on the day of the incident was under the influence of these drugs.
The lawyer referred to laws that exempt individuals from prosecution if their behaviours are fuelled by the consumption of narcotic substances.
During the hearing, however, judges ruled a guilty verdict, sentencing the accused to one year in prison.
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