One of the five youths accused of assaulting Liam Debono has appeared in court again, this time on drugs charges.

Marlon Baldacchino, 18, of Zabbar was arraigned by police inspectors Paul Camilleri and Sarah Zerafa before magistrate Doreen Clarke this afternoon, accused of possession of cannabis and cocaine and with breaching bail.

Baldacchino, tattooed and wearing a tracksuit, told the court that he worked in the stone business with a friend. This fact did not stop him from asking for a ban on the publication of his name “due to the nature of his job.” The prosecution argued that the man’s name had already been published in connection with his other charges.

Lawyer Marita Pace Dimech, defence counsel to the accused, requested bail. She told the court that it was a case of “youthful folly” and that the youth was otherwise obeying his bail conditions. “He was unlucky,” she said, adding that he was working and would lose his job if sent to prison.

The court, whilst denying bail in view of the nature of the charges and due to the fact that the accused didn’t satisfy the guarantees required at law also denied the request for a ban on the publication. There was no legal basis to prevent the publication of the name of the accused, she said.

No information relating to what led the police to arrest him emerged in court today.

If found guilty, Baldacchino also stands to lose his €2000 bail guarantee from his first arraignment on November 2.