Man remanded in custody over vehicle arson in Valletta

A 30-year-old man on Wednesday was charged with setting fire to a truck in Valletta on Tuesday.

Videos making the rounds on social media showed a Ford Ranger on fire on Valletta’s East Street.

Christopher Ryan, a chef, was on Wednesday charged with arson of the vehicle near a hotel, as well as a Toyota vehicle parked nearby. He is pleading not guilty to the charges brought against him.

Testifying during proceedings, police inspector Shaun Pawney said a report on the vehicle up in flames was received in the early hours of Tuesday morning. He said the fire had spread to a nearby warehouse, which in turn was close to private residences.

The accused was arrested later on Tuesday at his Valletta home in Merchant Street.

Requesting bail, defence lawyers argued the vehicle’s owner was the only witness, and therefore there was no risk in the accused disrupting the investigation. Lawyers also argued that Christopher Ryan had a four-year-old son, and therefore was unlikely to escape the country.

The prosecution dismissed the arguments brought forward by the defence, arguing he could still try to reach out to the vehicle’s owner.

Pawney also countered their argument by saying police investigations are still ongoing, and that he could still try and contact the owner.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech denied bail.

Inspectors Pawney, Gabriel Micallef, and AG lawyer Joseph Camilleri Azarov prosecuted.

Defence lawyers Jose Herrera and Martina Herrera represented the accused.

In 2015, Christopher Ryan plead guilty to the theft of several necklaces, worth approximately €1,000 in total, from three elderly women in Hamrun and Santa Venera.

A repeat offender, Ryan was warned by a magistrate that he must seek help with his drug addiction as it was going to land him in serious trouble one day.