A man who was granted bail a few days ago after admitting to stealing from his former employer, landed in fresh trouble when he went missing after calling a police officer to tell her that it was difficult for him to stick to bail conditions.

Andre Frendo, 25, unemployed, had been granted bail on May 12 after admitting to twice robbing his former employer. 

Bail was granted pending a pre-sentencing report. One of his bail conditions was for him to sign at the local police station three times a week and to abide by a curfew.

But last week, a probation officer who turned up at his home for the purpose of working on the pre-sentencing report, was met by Frendo’s worried parents who told her that their son had gone out last Tuesday and had not returned since.

He had taken his mother’s car.

The police were informed and immediately set to work, trying to locate him. They arrested him on Sunday.

Police Inspectors Jonathan Cassar and Doriette Cuschieri who re-arraigned him on Monday, told the court that Frendo's phone was initially located at Valletta close to the YMCA but he could not be found there. 

On Saturday, he was located at Sliema but again, he was elusive when police scoured the area.

On Sunday afternoon, police were called in to remove a vehicle that was blocking a loading/unloading bay at Marsa. The owner of that vehicle turned out to be Frendo’s mother who told them that her son was missing.

Minutes later, the man himself turned up near the car and was promptly arrested.

He was subsequently referred to Mount Carmel Hospital and was pronounced fit for interrogation and prosecution on Monday morning.

He was charged with breaching bail conditions.

Defence lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar, assisting as legal aid counsel, pointed out that the case had a technical and human aspect.

On the day when Frendo first skipped signing the bail book, he had been to Mount Carmel Hospital.

It was not a made-up excuse, even if the court had been told that he only stayed there for a few minutes.

The accused’s attitude was also significant, since it was not common for a person to call the police to explain that he could not abide by bail conditions.

And the prosecution had confirmed that Frendo’s attitude was not one where he was challenging the authorities.   

Inspector Cassar argued that the accused was clearly not trustworthy and needed care to overcome his drug addiction.

“Unless handed an effective jail term, within a few days he’ll be back in the same situation.”

Magistrate Elaine Mercieca Rizzo declared the accused guilty and handed him a 6-month jail term.

The court also ordered partial confiscation of his bail bond, to the amount of €1000, whilst revoking the bail he had been granted on May 12.

Finally the court directed prison authorities to afford the man all necessary help.