A Magistrate’s Court yesterday ordered the re-arrest of a Qormi man and gave him a two-month jail term after he was found guilty of breaching bail conditions stipulated by a court order.

Patrick Mangion, 33, had been granted bail and was placed under house arrest on 30 November.

However, magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera ordered his re-arrest after he was found guilty of breaching one of his bail conditions in Rabat on 19 December.

Inspector Nezren Grixti told the court he had been informed that he had seen a man, whose description matched perfectly to that of the accused, going into his garage in Rabat, some time before he was robbed.

Another witness, Police Inspector Anthony Portelli, said one of Mangion’s conditions specified he was not allowed to leave his house unless he needed to go to the Detox Centre. Insp. Portelli added the accused was bound by a Lm5,000 personal guarantee.

Johann Portelli told the court he had seen the accused, whom he recognised in the courtroom, entering his garage and approaching the place where he keeps his money, on 19 December at around 3.30pm. He said that when he spoke to the accused, he got a fright and asked him for a tyre.

Testifying in court, Mangion denied he had been to Rabat and said he knew Mr Portelli because he knew his father repaired tyres and he sometimes went to mend punctures at his garage.

Mangion’s parents confirmed to the court that the accused was with them at their house on the specified day, but in her judgement magistrate Scerri Herrera said it was clear, from Mrs Mangion’s testimony, that the accused had left the house to collect some pills some time during the afternoon.

The accused was therefore found guilty of the charges brought against him. He was re-arrested and given a two-month jail term.

Police inspectors Silvio Valletta, Anthony Portelli and Nezren Grixti prosecuted.