A man with a persistent drug problem was granted bail under a temporary supervision order after being arrested behind the wheel of a car which turned out to have been stolen shortly before Christmas.

Roderick Cilia, a 41-year-old driver from Għaxaq, pleaded not guilty to knowingly receiving the Toyota Yaris which had been stolen from its owner who had left it parked in Marsa on December 20.

The man was further charged with tampering with the car licence disc and the Transport Malta registration mark, as well as with driving the car without an insurance cover, breaching two suspended sentences and the conditions of a previous bail decree.

Prosecuting Inspector Robert Vella explained how an anonymous phone call to the Żejtun police station, where the man went to sign the bail book, alleging that there was ‘something not in order’ with the vehicle driven by the man, had placed the police on his tracks.

After one such appointment with the bail book, the police had followed the man and, after checking his car, had discovered that the chassis number corresponded with that of a stolen vehicle. The number plates too turned out to have been stolen.

The suspect had told the police how he had bought the car for some €50 from an unknown third party, the prosecution explained.

Upon his arraignment, the man denied the charges, his defence lawyer Franco Debono drawing the attention of the court to the fact that his client had a drug problem and that bail under supervision would be the ideal way forward.

The prosecution disagreed in view of the nature of the offences, the lack of trustworthiness of the accused as well as the fact that the man had wasted various opportunities granted by the courts.

After hearing submissions, the court, presided over by magistrate Josette Demicoli, upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €750, a personal guarantee of €4,000 and an obligation to sign the bail book three times a week.

He was also placed under a curfew as well as a temporary supervision order so that a probation officer might help him to “seriously tackle his drug addiction”.

“To avoid all these problems you must start from today to tackle your addiction seriously,” were the magistrate’s parting words of advice.

Inspector Wayne Camilleri also prosecuted. Lawyer Damian Cassar was also defence counsel.