A court heard yesterday how a man stole an unmarked police car because he needed a lift home and could not find a bus.

Amadeo Grima, 25, of Kalkara, is pleading not guilty to stealing a Ford Sierra belonging to the police force from Hamrun at around 11.30pm on 6 February 2006.

He is also charged with driving the car without a licence, of handling stolen goods, of relapsing in view of previous convictions, of breaching the terms of a conditional discharge, and of committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence.

The two prosecuting inspectors and a number of police officers took the stand at yesterday’s sitting.

Police Constable Raymond Conti said he had stopped to buy cheesecakes from a shop in Hamrun and forgot the keys in the ignition. He told the court how he paid the shopkeeper, turned around and saw that the car was gone.

Inspectors Stephen Mallia and Anthony Agius explained that a CCTV camera in the area had caught the alleged robbery on video tape. In the footage a man is seen climbing into the car and driving off.

The inspectors said that the man was identified as Amadeo Grima, the accused. They found and arrested him at St Luke’s Hospital, where he had gone to visit his sick child. The police officers noted that Grima was wearing the same clothes he had on when he was captured by the CCTV camera.

At first the man refused to admit he had anything to do with stealing the car, but the day after his arrest, he owned up. The accused said that he had gone to see his child in the morning and when he left, he could not find a bus.

Grima told the police that he got restless and started to walk. He saw the car with the keys in the ignition, adding that he planned to drive himself home. However, he had to abandon the vehicle because it ran out of petrol.

The police officers informed the court that the car had been found on the same day in Marsa with the keys still in the ignition. The accused had refused to tell the police where the car was.

The case continues.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi presided over the court.