Charged with damaging car

A 33-year-old man was yesterday granted bail on condition that he attends a drug rehabilitation programme after he pleaded not guilty to stealing a car stereo and relapsing.

Ivan Galea of Valletta denied causing under €1,164 in damages to a car, stealing the stereo, handling stolen property, conspiring to commit a crime and complicity in that crime in Valletta on June 22.

Defence lawyer José Herrera told the court that Mr Galea had been clean from using drugs for the past six years and had only started reusing recently adding that his client has been unlucky all his life and was born under an unlucky star. Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani granted Mr Galea bail on condition he attends a drug rehabilitation programme.

Police Inspector James Grech prosecuted. Lawyers José Herrera and Veronique Dalli appeared for Mr Galea.