A fraudster who was still in Paceville two hours after he should have been home landed himself in trouble on Saturday night when he approached the police in Paceville asking them for a lift home.

Convicted fraudster Jeffrey Cassar, 31, told police officers he was meant to be indoors by midnight as one of his bail conditions on yet another fraud case he is facing.

But the police, rather than giving him a lift home promptly arrested him and he spent the night in a cell. 

Appearing before Magistrate Doreen Clarke, Mr Cassar told the court he had gone out with his friends and had lost track of time.

He pleaded guilty to breaching one of his bail conditions and was jailed for six months.

He is facing criminal proceedings over seven counts of fraud after he allegedly issued payments with stolen cheques. He had been arrested in September 2013 but managed to escape from police custody. He was apprehended some time later in Mellieha.

He is pleading not guilty to defrauding a lotto office owner of more than €5,000, as well as several other shops including a cycle shop in Mosta, a photography shop in Valletta and a poultry shop in Burmarrad. He also stands charged with defrauding a man of more than €6,700.

The court has so far heard how he allegedly used cheques from a stolen cheque book to make the payments.

Police Inspector Josric Mifsud prosecuted while lawyer Noel Bianco was defence counsel.