A scuffle broke out in Magistrates’ Court yesterday and a member of the public was arrested for assaulting a police officer.

The man, who had been standing at the back of the courtroom with a walking cane, became agitated when a uniformed officer told him to sit down. He told the officer that he had a “messed-up leg” and always stood at the back when he came to court.

As the man began to struggle with the officer, an inspector who was a witness in a trial left the stand to assist.

Another plain-clothes officer also came to their aid, and they tackled the man to the ground. Upon being told to stop resisting, the man said: “I have a messed-up shoulder — I’m not resisting! You’re breaking my arm.”

As he was being cautioned and arrested for assaulting a police officer, the man began insisting that one of the officers had placed something in his rear right pocket by his wallet, and asked to be searched in front of the magistrate. He was led into the custody area in handcuffs.