A magistrate yesterday threw out an application for a change in bail conditions submitted by a man charged with seriously injuring 11-year-old twin sisters in a hit-and-run incident early last month.

Maximilian Ciantar, 20, was granted bail on May 19, for which he was required to place a €3,000 deposit and sign a personal guarantee of €20,000. He was to be kept at Mount Carmel Hospital if he paid the bail bond, to attend a drug rehabilitation programme.

Mr Ciantar, of Marsa, is pleading not guilty to seriously injuring Sarah Falzon and her sister Rebecca, who is still recovering and is unable to testify.

The twins were run over in Ħal-Warda Street, Attard on April 28 at 7.15 p.m. They had just come out of Christian doctrine classes and were on a zebra crossing.

Defence lawyer Joe Brincat yesterday filed the application seeking to have the conditions changed so that the accused could live at home.

He argued that according to the constitutional case Police versus James Demanuele, someone granted bail could not be kept, for example, under house arrest. One was either granted bail or one wasn't.

He argued that his client should not be detained at Mount Carmel Hospital, adding that it would be crazy for him to pay the bail bond only to be kept there.

The lawyer also requested that the sum of the deposit be reduced as it was far beyond his client's financial means to afford it.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke, however, refused the request, pointing out that the accused had a drug problem which he needed to be treated for and that it was up to the court to decide the amount of bail it deemed fit.

At the start of proceedings, a witness to the accident, Josette Cardona recalled how on the day in question she was in her car behind another vehicle waiting for children to cross the road.

She said she saw a white van approach in the opposite direction, slam into one of the girls and then hit another car. She said that it happened all so fast and the driver kept going.

Police Inspector Elton Taliana had told the court that when he was arraigned, 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. He added that the accused had taken heroin in the morning.

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

The case continues.

Lawyer Cynthia Scerri Debono appeared parte civile.