A man who was hospitalised from a suspected overdose while unconscious woke up and escaped police custody only to turn up at a police station and ask about the proceedings against him, a court heard this morning.

Janis Caruana, 30, who works at his father’s bakery in Valletta, was this morning charged with being in possession of nine grams of cocaine and an unspecified amount of heroin. He was also accused of escaping police custody, relapsing and of breaching bail conditions.

Sources told the Times of Malta the man was found unconscious in a car near Independence Gardens in Sliema on Friday afternoon.

He raised suspicions as the amount of drugs in his possession exceeded the limit for personal use. Several items associated with drug trafficking were also found in the car.

Although the prosecution objected to his request for bail, the defence argued that the accused was trustworthy as otherwise he would not have gone to the police station once he had left hospital.

However, Police Inspector Jonathan Ransley pointed out that prior to this incident the accused has also breached bail conditions imposed by another court by reporting late at the police station.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit rejected the request for bail. Lawyers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili were defence counsel.