When the police caught a man outside his house at a time he was supposed to be indoors on a court-ordered curfew, little did they know he had been locked out by his mother who was fed up of his shenanigans.

Jeffrey Cassar, 29, from Mosta, who is no stranger to the courts, was yesterday cleared of breaching bail conditions after being arrested on Sunday.

He had been found by the police standing outside the locked door of his mother’s house, where he lives, waiting to get inside. During his arraignment yesterday, his mother turned up and said she had locked him out because she was fed up of his gambling problem.

In the proceedings, both the prosecution and defence counsel agreed that although he was in fact caught outside breaching his bail conditions, this was not intentional.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella acquitted him of the charges after taking into consideration that he did not voluntarily commit the crime.

Mr Cassar also requested that he change his address to a boat berthed in Marsa.