Convicted road menace Maximilian Ciantar, who is banned from driving, was back in court today after being arrested yesterday for allegedly threatening to run over a woman following a collision.

A known drug user, he was yesterday arrested after a police search lasting several hours and taken to hospital in an ambulance to be treated for a suspected overdose. He later had to be restrained after causing trouble at the emergency department, sources said.

In court, Mr Ciantar, 24, unemployed of Marsa pleaded not guilty to damaging two cars, driving a car negligently and dangerously, driving while under a court ban and driving without a driving licence and insurance. He was also accused of using vulgar language in public, threatening two people, breaching previous court sentences and disobeying police orders in Mater Dei Hospital.

During arguments on bail,  Police Inspector Robert Vella said this was the sixth case involving Mr Ciantar in a short span of time. He said that in yesterday's incident, Mr Ciantar had also damaged property and drove away from the scene.

His family had refused to cooperate during the search, and after Mr Ciantar was arrested and taken to hospital, he also refused to cooperate.

His mother (whose car he had been reportedly driving) had said she did not know he was banned from driving.

Defence counsel Joseph Brincat said there were no procedural reasons why Mr Ciantar should be denied bail.

Bail was denied.

As he was being taken out of the court, members of Mr Ciantar's family told him to show journalists a bruise which, they claimed, he suffered overnight.

Maximilian Ciantar gained notoriety after running over 10-year-old twin girls on a zebra crossing as he was driving through Attard at 102km per hour four years ago. He has since been caught a number of times defying driving bans.

Yesterday, driving a grey Renault Megane, he was involved in a collision with a a Toyota Aygo in Stiefnu Żerafa Street, Ħamrun. Police sources said an argument broke out and Mr Ciantar allegedly drove into the woman’s car again.

He then threatened to run her down before speeding off, the sources said.

The police were informed about the incident and searched the streets while keeping a close eye on the homes of his relatives. He was eventually arrested at a residence in Qormi.

Mr Ciantar has a history of driving bans. The latest is effective until March 2015 after an appeal court confirmed a one-year suspension of his licence given by a magistrate who had noted his “blatant defiance” of the authorities.

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