A man who took his parents’ car without their consent was remanded in custody after his mother insisted to the police that criminal action be taken against her son.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras heard how the police began investigating Christopher Schembri, 32, from Sliema, after his mother, Jacqueline, went to the police station to report him for taking her car from the garage without her consent.

Mr Schembri was charged with taking the Mercedes Benz at 10am on Tuesday and with driving the vehicle without a valid road licence and with the registration plates for another car. He was further charged with breaching the bail conditions of two pending criminal cases.

Police Inspector Jason Sultana told the court that the woman insisted on reporting her son despite being warned several times of the consequences of her insistence.

Defence lawyer Leontine Calleja objected to the arrest but Magistrate Galea Sciberras held that it was justified, given the allegation that bail conditions in other cases had not been respected.

Inspector Sultana objected to a request for bail, saying that the prosecution’s two main witnesses were Mr Schembri’s parents, with whom he lived.

Magistrate Galea Sciberras turned down the request because of the possibility of tampering with evidence and also due to the man’s criminal record.