Man faces car theft charges whilst struggling with substance abuse

A man struggling with substance abuse found himself back in custody after pleading not guilty to a string of car thefts over a two-week span. 

Clifton Attard, a 32-year-old resident of Msida, was brought before the court on Sunday following suspicions that tied him to a sequence of thefts occurring within Gżira and Ta' Xbiex.

Cash and other items were allegedly stolen from a vehicle parked along the Ta' Xbiex seafront on July 27.

Other similar thefts followed on August 6, 7 and 11, all taking place in the morning. 

A mobile was stolen from a vehicle parked on the Gżira seafront. 

Credit cards were taken from another car parked on Sir Patrick Stuart Street, Gzira. 

Another car parked in Ta' Xbiex was last targeted on August 11.

Cash was also allegedly stolen from a Ta' Xbiex commercial outlet on August 7 afternoon. 

Attard pleaded not guilty to both the thefts as well as breaching bail conditions handed down in March. 

Magistrate Monica Vella turned down a request for bail, but after hearing the accused had a drug problem, Vella also recommended that the director of prisons help the accused deal with his drug addiction. 

Inspector Jonathan Ransley prosecuted.