Alleged car thief placed under two-year treatment plan

A 32-year-old man accused of stealing a car and taking money from a shrine, has been placed under a two-year treatment order, with the court recommending psychiatric evaluation and preventative custody if necessary.

The accused, Patrick Ryan McGahern, allegedly stole a car on Monday 11 November, according to a police inspector.

The police were given a description of who the man was, and after looking for him, they were not able to locate him since he was not residing at his fixed address. 

Among other things, the man was accused of forcefully stealing money from a shrine, and breaking a probation order imposed on him in September.

The inspector added that the man was later discovered to be receiving treatment at Mount Carmel Hospital. However, he was later told that McGahern was taken to Mater Dei Hospital after he said he swallowed a number of pills.

The Court ordered the accused to be placed under a treatment order for two years starting from today and recommended that McGahern be readmitted into Mount Carmel Hospital. 

The Court also recommended that a psychiatrist from the Correctional Facility take a look at the accused, and if tests prove necessary, the accused shall be placed under preventative custody in the Forensic Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital.

Lawyers Clive Aquilina and Miryea Mifsud appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, and Inspectors Gabriel Micallef and Sherona Buhagiar led the prosecution.