Man denied bail after allegedly driving without licence, breaching bail conditions

A 20-year-old man was remanded in custody after being accused of breaching bail conditions by driving without a licence and being found in possession of prohibited items.

Josef Ebejer was arraigned in court and charged with breaching bail conditions, driving without a licence, and possession of a stun gun and a siren. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court heard that on 7 January at around 7:30pm, two police officers were in Marsa when they spotted Ebejer driving a vehicle. The officers, who were already aware that Ebejer did not hold a driving licence, stopped the vehicle. There were two passengers inside the car, one seated in the front and another in the back.

Ebejer was asked whether he had a driving licence, to which he replied that he did not. A search of the vehicle was subsequently carried out, during which police found a stun gun and a siren. Further investigations revealed that Ebejer was on bail at the time and that one of the conditions of his release was that he must not commit any offence.

Police testified that driving without a licence constitutes an offence in itself, leading to Ebejer’s arrest for breaching bail conditions.

The defence requested bail. Lawyer Nicholas Mifsud argued that the accused is presumed innocent and has a right to request bail. He said that had Ebejer not been on bail at the time, the case would have appeared before a different court as a routine traffic offence.

The defence stressed that at this stage the accused was not admitting guilt, adding that bail should be the rule rather than the exception.

The prosecution objected to the request for bail, arguing that Ebejer had already breached bail conditions and that this was not the first time he had done so. The prosecution emphasised the risk of recidivism, noting that the court had previously granted the accused opportunities which he had failed to respect.

After hearing submissions from both sides, the court rejected the defence’s request and denied bail.

The accused is being represented by Nicholas Mifsud while Inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa led the prosecution.