A 24-year-old man was charged in court this morning with breaking into a Chick King restaurant in Mosta at 1am yesterday and making off with €2,000.

Paul Joseph Cachia, a part-time driver from St Paul's Bay, was arraigned before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli and charged with aggravated theft, damaging property, and being a repeat offender, having already been convicted of theft back in 2014.

Prosecuting officer Nicholas Vella objected to the accused being granted bail on the grounds that civilian witnesses were yet to testify.

Lawyer Andy Ellul pointed out that bail was a right. He argued that the accused previously had a drug habit and was undergoing a rehabilitation programme with Caritas.

The man had also been granted police bail since he was diabetic and needed constant treatment.

"So it's fine to give him police bail, but today we're saying that there's a fear of him tampering with evidence," Dr Ellul argued.

The court granted him bail against a deposit of €400 and a personal guarantee of €2,000, ordering him not to approach any Chick King establishment or any of the owners or employees.