A man who admitted to a moment of madness after relapsing into drug use, insisted in court on being sent to the Drug Dependency Unit before sentencing, after admitting to various charges of theft.

Ludvic Camilleri, a 42-year-old from St Paul’s Bay, who was arraigned on Friday, pleaded guilty to stealing two cars, driving them without their owners’ consent and attempting to break into a residence in St Paul’s Bay.

The attempted break-in had taken place on Tuesday and was followed by the theft of a speaker and two cars from Qormi the next day, the latter being perpetrated over a couple of hours.

Inspector Kylie Borg explained in court how the accused had admitted under arrest that his wrongdoing had been done in a moment of madness after a relapse into drug abuse, which marked a break from his last six drugs-free years.

Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri also intervened at this stage pointing out that their client had just completed a two-month drug rehabilitation period which meant that the accused had “a will to get better”.

Inspector Borg added that the man had cooperated fully and returned all the stolen items.

After registering a guilty plea, the accused’s lawyers filed a request for bail and a further request for a pre-sentencing report.

The accused himself butted in, asking the court to remand him to the Drug Dependency Unit so that he might be placed under the supervision of a probation officer.

Noting that there was no objection by the prosecution, so long as the accused was not allowed to leave the unit, the court, presided over by magistrate Josette Demicoli, upheld both requests.

He was released from preventive arrest and sent to the DDU against a personal guarantee of €6,000 and a strict order not to set foot out of the unit pending delivery of judgment.

A provisional supervision order was also issued for the purpose of channeling the accused towards a drug rehabilitation program.