Man, 19, remanded in custody after allegedly driving without a licence, breaching bail conditions

A 19-year-old man was remanded in custody after allegedly driving without a licence and breaching bail conditions.

Brendan Zammit, who was also charged with recidivism, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution informed the Court that yesterday afternoon, the Police had noted a vehicle changing its direction after the driver noticed that a routine traffic check was underway.

The police followed the Range Rover until it was eventually stopped. From investigations it resulted that the driver had no licence or valid insurance.

The driver was also accompanied by two minors.

Whilst the validity of the arrest was not contested, a request for bail was made. Defence lawyers noted that insofar as the accused is a relatively young person, incarceration should be a measure of last resort. It was noted that strict conditions could also be imposed, and that the bail allegedly breached was unrelated to the charges in the proceedings at hand.

The request for bail was denied, with the case set to be assigned to the relevant court according to law.

Inspector Mark Cremona prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Jose Herrera represented the accused.