A drug addict in need of 'a whole package of treatments' retracted his guilty plea to charges of stealing some €900 in cash and cigarettes from a confectionary in Zejtun last month.
Alan Caruana, 32, from Żejtun, broke into tears when the extent of his problem was exposed by his lawyer Mark Busuttil. He was also charged with relapsing.
Magistrate Francesco Depasquale noted that for Mr Caruana to be given automatic entry to a drug rehabilitation programme he would have to jail him for at least two years, a term which might be excessive.
On the other hand, he was not going to jail him for six months and leave him in prison with nothing to do. So he ordered a pre-sentencing report. Until this is compiled, Mr Caruana is being held in custody at Mount Carmel Hospital.
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