The young man recently charged with running over twin girls in Attard set his prison cell alight and had to be saved by staff soon after his girlfriend was allegedly found trying to supply him with heroin, The Times has learnt.

The incident, which happened a few weeks ago, was the second time that Maximilian Ciantar, 20, appeared to put his life at risk while in prison, where he is being held under preventive arrest. The first was when he jumped out of the prison's internal courtyard on the third floor, only to land on a protective net.

He was then moved to the ground floor where he was later found lying on his bed engulfed in flames. He was pulled out by prison staff unhurt.

When contacted, acting prison director Abraham Zammit said both incidents took place immediately after the inmate was found "in serious breach of prison regulations related to drugs".

He confirmed that Mr Ciantar’s girlfriend was caught trying to supply him with heroin and investigations in her regard are under way.

The director said Mr Ciantar’s jump and cell blaze were not being treated as suicide attempts.

When asked for a possible motive apart from suicide, he said this could be attributed to many things including “rebellion or bravado”. Prison insiders said another possible motive in such cases in the past has been to get transferred to Mount Carmel Hospital.

This is, in fact, where Mr Ciantar would have ended up had he accepted his bail conditions as laid out by Magistrate Doreen Clarke. She had granted him bail but ordered that he be kept at Mount Carmel for drug rehabilitation. However, his lawyer Joe Brincat filed a constitutional case and won him €1,000 in “moral damages” after arguing that his client’s human rights had been breached because, although granted bail, he was still to be kept in detention.

Following the constitutional judgment, the proceedings have been sent back to Magistrate Clarke’s court for a re-evaluation of the bail conditions.

After the hit-and-run incident, Mr Ciantar, was charged with grievously injuring the 11-year-old twin sisters Rebecca and Sarah Falzon, who had just attended a Christian doctrine lesson. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody.

In court it was alleged that he had taken heroin in the morning, was driving dangerously and speeding without a licence and insurance cover and had even proceeded to a scheduled job to repair a garage door.

Prosecuting Police Inspector Elton Taliana said the accused, who was driving his father’s white Peugeot Partner van, had just jumped a red light in Mdina Road, Attard, when he turned the corner at excessive speed and ran over the twins.

“This is a crime against society... Life is unique and this man cannot capriciously be allowed back on the streets,” he had said, pointing out that Mr Ciantar was a repeat offender.

Insp. Taliana said Mr Ciantar had been convicted of various motoring offences and could not be trusted.

The twins were released from hospital after spending almost a month in treatment.