A man who was charged with stealing a laptop to feed his drug habit has been remanded in custody.

Ronald Cutajar, 39, from Zabbar was arraigned in front of magistrate Neville Camilleri earlier today accused of aggravated theft. Prosecuting police inspectors Priscilla Caruana Lee and Alfredo Mangion told the court how the man had allegedly stolen the bag containing the Apple Macbook Pro from a car parked in Triq Gilormu Cassar, Floriana and then sold it for €80.

Cutajar was also charged with causing damage to the car, handling stolen goods, breaching bail conditions and relapsing.

His lawyers, Alfred Abela and Arthur Azzopardi explained to the court that the man had been going through a tough time, relapsing into drug use following the death of his father last month.

A not guilty plea was entered but the defence did not ask for bail, instead requesting that Cutajar be held at the forensic ward at Mount Carmel Hospital.