A heartbroken mother this morning told a court how she could no longer bear the sight of her 18-year-old son blatantly breaching the bail conditions imposed on him a few weeks ago by a Magistrate, to the point that she decided to report him to the police.

“He would just vanish in the middle of the night while we are asleep and turn up the following day saying he was out with his friends or his girlfriend,” she added.

Testifying this morning before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, the woman said she reported her son because she wanted him to reform before it was too late.

Her son, whose name cannot be published by court order, was this morning charged with breaching the bail conditions imposed on January 29, when he had pleaded not guilty to a series of thefts from several kiosks around the island.

The mother said her son’s behaviour was fuelling suspicions that he had some sort of addiction, which was pushing him to commit crimes in a bid to finance his habit. She also expressed her concern that he was still hanging around with a friend, with whom he has the pending court case.

On his part the teenager seem completely unfazed by his mother’s account, to the point that he was reprimanded by the court as he was caught smiling.

“Bravo” the Magistrate told him.

“You have nothing to smile about,” she added.

A request for bail filed led by defence lawyers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili was turned down by the court.

The case has been put off to tomorrow morning, when the court will give its judgement.

However, both the prosecution and the defence argued against imposing a fine, saying such punishment would make no sense as the money would have to be forked out by his parents.

In this respect the prosecution asked for an effective jail term, with the defence pleading for a lenient punishment.