A man was remanded in custody today for breaching bail conditions imposed on him last month in a case involving theft from two Birkirkara shops.

Annise Bejaoui, 26, was not at home on Sunday night when the police checked on him, a court heard. He was supposed to be in by 10pm.

Mr Bejaoui denied breaching the bail conditions and claimed that he was asleep upstairs at his Rabat home and did not hear the police inspector call his name.

But Magistrate Charmaine Galea did not believe his version and revoked bail. He was remanded in custody and sent to the forensic unit at Mount Carmel Hospital.

At one point during proceedings Mr Bejaoui accused police inspector Edel Mary Camilleri of lying just after she testified. The magistrate heard him and warned him she would send him to the lock up immediately if spoke to her like that again.

Inspector Camilleri told the court that she had a led a police patrol in Dingli and Rabat and they checked on Mr Bejaoui.

She said the door of Mr Bejaoui’s residence, a flat with no electricity and water, within a slum, was open. The police officer said she repeatedly called out his name but no one answered except an elderly couple who were neighbours. The police did not enter the apartment.

Inspector Camilleri said she then went to Dingli where Mr Bejaoui’s mother lived and where Mr Bejaoui's registered address was. 

The police searched Ms Bejaoui’s house with her permission but did not find him there.  Inspector Camilleri said she then instructed police officers at the Rabat station to arrest Mr Bejaoui the next day when he called to sign the bail book. 

Mr Bejaoui’s defence lawyer argued that the police had not proven their case beyond reasonable doubt because his client could have been sleeping at his Rabat home.

However, prosecuting officer, Inspector John Spiteri insisted Mr Bejaoui had not informed him or the police station of a change of residence prior to Sunday’s incident as had been the case on other occasions. 

Mr Bejaoui said the inspector had his mobile phone number and she could have phoned him to ascertain that he was upstairs at his Rabat home. 

Inspectors John Spiteri and Luke Bonello prosecuted while legal aid lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace appeared for Mr Bejaoui.