A man has been remanded in custody after being reported by his sister for breaching the bail conditions imposed by a court a fortnight ago.

Douglas Briffa, 26, was charged this morning before magistrate Aaron Bugeja and pleaded not guilty to staying outdoors after 8pm.

The court heard that last Wednesday, the defendant’s sister Tammy, who is 11 years his senior, filed a report at Cospicua police station, as the accused had been away for more than 24 hours. 

Taking the witness stand, she recounted that on September 27, she had offered to host her brother at her own house, to avoid him go to jail in connection with a separate case being heard before magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace.

The man had been granted bail on condition that he would live at her home and not venture outside after 8pm. 

“He has a drug addiction and I wanted to keep him under my watch. I even referred him to a doctor as his addiction would not even allow him to sleep,” she told the court. The witness pointed out that she was willing to support him as long as he abided by bail conditions and tried to kick his addiction.

When Mr Briffa did not return home on Tuesday night, she sounded the alarm bells and informed the police, fearing he had found himself in trouble.

Ms Briffa noted that prior to leaving, her brother had told her he was going to stay with a friend, but by Wednesday he had not informed the police of the change of address.

This friend was Christian Calleja from Kalkara, who also took the witness stand.

Mr Calleja told the court that the accused had slept over at this house for two nights but could not remember the exact dates. He testified that when he accompanied the defendant to the Cospicua police station to inform them of his change of address, his friend was detained. 

Defence counsel Simon Micallef Stafrace requested bail, saying the breach in the original conditions was of a “technical” nature and that sending him to jail would be an “extreme” measure. 

The prosecution, led by inspector Josric Mifsud, objected, saying the man had no fixed address.

The bail request was turned down by the court, pending a final decision, since more witnesses have to testify.