No bail for suspected would-be car thief

A court has remanded in custody a young man arrested while trying to steal a car from Marsa.

21 year-old Somali, Abdikarim Isman Omar had been jailed for nine months and fined €950 last December for being in possession of illegal drugs in Paceville.

But a stint behind bars appears to have done little to keep the man out of trouble. Yesterday morning at around 5am - around a month after his release from prison - Omar was caught by police, allegedly in the act of trying to steal a van parked in Marsa.

Inspector Daryl Borg told duty magistrate Ian Farrugia how a police patrol near Marsa’s landmark Tiger Bar had spotted the accused inside the vehicle, “attempting to jump start the engine.” Suspected cannabis resin had been found on his person after his arrest.

Omar was charged with attempted theft, criminal damage, possession of cannabis resin and being drunk and incapable of taking care of himself while in a public area.

Defence lawyer Noel Bartolo entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the accused and requested his release on bail.

Inspector Borg objected to the request, explaining that the accused  had given police a different address to that specified on his ID card. “He wasn’t even sure of the flat number or street name.”

Magistrate Ian Farrugia, in view of the nature of the charges, the issues raised by the prosecution, as well as because the accused had no real ties to Malta and the fact that there were witnesses still to testify, ordered that the accused be remanded in custody.