Maximilian Ciantar, who had been jailed for two years after running over twin girls in Attard in 2011, described himself as the unluckiest person on earth this morning as he faced fresh criminal proceedings over another traffic incident.

But Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit insisted that Mr Ciantar brought things on himself, stating that misfortune alone could not explain his repeated troubles with the law.

Mr Ciantar sparked a police search last Tuesday, after allegedly driving into another car and attempting to run over a woman in Zerafa Street, Marsa.

Although he is banned from driving until next March, Mr Ciantar was driving his mother’s Renault Megane when he hit the mirror of a Toyota Aygo which was being driven by a neighbour, Joseph Catania.

The Toyota is owned by Mr Catania’s daughter Alysia, who was in the car at the time and who stepped out to confront Mr Ciantar.

Mr Catania stepped out of the car as the incident escalated; according to his daughter, the accused told him that the only reason he was not hitting him was that he was an old man.

Ms Catania added that her father told Mr Ciantar that he wished to settle things there and then out of respect of his father, but Mr Ciantar subsequently returned to his car, reversed into her own and drove off. She testified that she would have been a victim if she did not get out of the way in time.

Both father and daughter testified that Mr Ciantar’s father Emmanuel assumed responsibility for the damage caused, and that the car is presently in the hands of a mechanic the elder Mr Ciantar was paying for.

Defence counsel Joe Brincat asked Ms Catania to declare whether Mr Ciantar had intentionally reversed into her car, but she said that she could not say, because she did not know what was going through his mind.

But in his testimony, Anthony Callus, who was walking by when the incident happened, said that it was clear that he intentionally reversed into the car, as people would not unintentionally reverse into something at such a speed.

Mr Callus noted that Mr Ciantar was driving at a high speed when the incident happened, so much so that he was thinking that it would not be long before he crashed into something.

Mr Ciantar had also hit another car as he reversed into Ms Catania’s Toyota, and its driver, Carmelo d’Amato, testified that he ended up witnessing the incident because the two cars involved had blocked the road. He said that as he reversed, Mr Ciantar hit his car’s door before hitting Ms Catania’s car.

Dr Brincat asked for bail after the day’s witnesses had testified, but prosecuting inspector Robert Vella said that Mr Ciantar’s unreliable nature was an issue. He said that it was pointless to grant him bail only to see him end up involved in another incident.

Insp. Vella noted that he had met Mr Ciantar’s probation officer earlier in the day, and that she explained that he is in need of assistance and that the environment he lives in was not helping. She also told him that she repeatedly begged Mr Ciantar to start a drug rehabilitation programme, but to no avail.

Magistrate Stafrace Zammit then sought to find out what assistance Mr Ciantar was receiving to ensure that he reforms himself, discovering that he is receiving no such help at present.

She said that while Mr Ciantar was an adult, it was clear that he was in need of help, and told Dr Brincat that providing him the assistance he needs was arguably more important than providing the “best legal defence on earth.” The magistrate also noted that the court would provide all the necessary assistance if his parents – who were present – chose to help him, but had no option but to proceed with the case if they did not.

Dr Brincat then said that to his knowledge, Mr Ciantar was not presently using drugs, and suggested that regular drug tests could be imposed as one of the conditions for bail. But the magistrate pointed out that drug addicts lied regularly, prompting Dr Brincat to quip that he thought that lawyers were believed to be the greatest liars.

Mr Ciantar then intervened, stating that he has been clean for around a year, as confirmed by drug tests, and said while his probation officer kept insisting that he should seek drug rehabilitation treatment, he saw no need for it at present.

At this point, Magistrate Stafrace Zammit asked him whether he believed that what was happening to him was normal, prompting him to reply that he was the most unlucky person on earth.

Ultimately, the request for bail was denied. The case continues on 28 July.