A man, arrested on Tuesday when police came across an unlicensed and loaded pistol in his car boot, was denied bail on Wednesday after being deemed untrustworthy, even in view of his criminal record. 

Aaron Cassar, a 41-year-old Birżebbuġa resident, was targeted by members of the Major Crimes Unit at his hometown on Tuesday afternoon, following an anonymous tip-off about a suspected arms deal.

Assisted by the Rapid Intervention Unit, officers zeroed in on the suspect’s car, arrested the man and searched the vehicle, finding the unlicensed firearm, loaded with two bullets, inside the luggage boot.

Upon arraignment on Wednesday, Cassar pleaded not guilty to the unlawful possession of the pistol as well as to breaching bail conditions handed down by the Criminal Court in 2017. 

The accused had been arraigned four years ago as one of three men allegedly involved in a failed arson attack at the Marsa home of Deniro Magri, who was separately charged over the fatal shooting of one of the suspect arsonists. 

When making submissions on bail on Wednesday, Cassar’s lawyer, David Gatt, argued that not only were these summary proceedings, normally prosecutable under summons, but the charges concerned an old, rusty and malfunctioning pistol.

While confirming the defective nature of the weapon, prosecuting Inspector Wayne Camilleri countered that the pistol could be fired nonetheless.

In fact, the accused had explained how he had fired the weapon at a wooden pallet, the prosecutor told the court. 

Bail was objected to because the accused had breached previous bail conditions, thereby risking forfeiture of his personal freedom as well as a €20,000 personal guarantee, the inspector said.

The court, presided over by magistrate Nadine Lia, checked the man’s 16-page criminal record, which included past arms-related convictions, and, after hearing submissions by both parties, concluded that it did not deem the accused sufficiently trustworthy as to abide by bail conditions, remanding him in custody.