Maximilian Ciantar, who is notoriously famous for his long list of traffic violations, has been given another suspended sentence by a court, this time for breaching the conditions of a probation order issued in 2013.

The probation order had been given to Mr Ciantar for verbally threatening a social worker.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale sentenced Mr Ciantar to a three-month jail term suspended for four years, after the accused repeatedly failed to attend meetings set for him by his probation officer.

“Next time you commit a mistake, you will go to jail,” the magistrate warned Mr Ciantar soon after delivering his judgment.

The court noted that Mr Ciantar had failed to follow the orders especially towards the end of the probationary period, which expires at the end of this month. In view of this, an application was filed by his probation officer who complained that Mr Ciantar was no longer following the drug rehabilitation programme.

In its decision, the court remarked that the accused's behaviour showed that he had failed to understand the nature of the charges brought against him three years before, and had not seized the opportunity to reform himself.

Consequently, the accused had to be treated as if he had just been convicted, the court said.

In its submissions, the prosecution, led by police inspector Robert Vella, remarked that unless the accused was allowed to start a new life outside his family’s influence, he had no chance of succeeding.

On his part defence lawyer Joe Brincat, argued against the imposition of a jail term and asked for the probation period to be extended. He pointed out that his client had a greater chance of overcoming his problems by getting a stable job.

However, the court noted that Mr Ciantar had been given the maximum probationary period allowed by law and so this could not be extended.

Mr Ciantar was at the centre of a public outcry when he ran over twin girls in Attard in 2011. In a separate incident he had allegedly driven into another car and attempted to run over a woman in Hamrun, after being involved in an argument over a collision. The accused fled the scene and was arrested several hours later following a police search.

Mr Ciantar had been released from prison after serving 16 months of his two-year jail term for the Attard incident while his 10-year driving ban was reduced to 16 months.

One month later, he was found driving in breach of the ban. Although he was granted bail, this was revoked after he assaulted journalists covering his case.

In February 2012, days after he was released from prison, he was fined €800 for heroin possession. He had previously been found guilty of heroin possession and fined €600.