No bail for foreign youth charged with stealing iPad

22-year-old Victor Lucien Naessens appeared in court under arrest this morning, accused of the theft of an Apple iPad Air 2, which had been taken from a vehicle parked in St. George's Road, St. Julian’s.

The theft, which was aggravated by the value and nature of the thing stolen, is believed to have taken place at around 10am on Wednesday.

Naessens was also charged with damaging the device, which the court was told, has since been returned to its rightful owner.

Prosecuting police inspector Nikolai Sant explained that the police had received reports that a tablet had been stolen from a vehicle in St. Julian's and had tracked the device to the accused shortly afterwards.

The accused, who said he was unemployed, pleaded not guilty to the charges, telling Magistrate Gabriella Vella that he was on holiday in Malta and had obtained the device from someone else. “I just got it from a mate... I didn't steal it.”

Lawyer Noel Bartolo, appointed as legal aid to the accused, requested bail.

Inspector Sant objected to the man's release, in view of the fact that the accused did not have a fixed address and there was the possibility of him absconding from the island.

The court turned down the bail request saying it was “not at all convinced” that the accused would not attempt to abscond from the island.