A man who had his bike stolen yesterday recounted how the person who had taken it had been chatting to him just minutes before riding off.

Kurt Buttigieg, 17, said he was in a bike shop chatting to 25-year-old Sylvester James from Ħamrun on November 1 at around 11 a.m.

Mr James walked off and moments later the teenager noticed that his bike, which had a small piston engine attached to it, had gone missing from the front of the shop.

Mr Buttigieg ran out and saw the accused riding off on his bike.

Mr James stands accused of stealing the bike, handling stolen property, relapsing, breaching the conditions of a previous release and committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term. He is pleading not guilty.

Lawyer Yanica Bugeja appeared for Mr James.

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