Man who gave the police the middle finger granted bail

A man convicted of the involuntary homicide of an eight-month-old baby in August 1992 during a traffic accident appeared in court today charged with assaulting three police officers who stopped him after he stuck his middle finger out at them.  Joseph Camilleri, a 41-year-old unemployed man from San Gwann, was charged with assaulting and resisting two police constables and a police sergeant, slightly injuring the sergeant, swearing in public, breaching the peace, disobeying police orders, preventing the officers from carrying out their duties and refusing to give them his details.  Police Inspector Sergio Pisani told Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras that the police tried to stop Mr Camilleri in Vjar ir-Rihan after he made an offensive gesture at them. He disobeyed their orders but but later stopped outside his residence in Triq Vincenzo Hyzler, where he allegedly assaulted the officers.  Although at first he refused to take a breathalyser test, he eventually took it and tested negative to alcohol, the court heard.  The inspector objected to the granting of bail saying the accused did not offer the necessary guarantees according to law.  But defence counsel Giannella de Marco...