A man who stands accused of having stolen cash and valuables last month whilst out on bail, was remanded in custody upon his arraignment on Thursday.

Patrick Mangion, a 47-year old Valletta resident, pleaded not guilty to two charges of aggravated theft, as well as relapsing and breaching previous bail conditions.

The first charge dated back to November 2, when cash was allegedly stolen from a Tarxien property on Vjal Simmons.

The second theft concerned a 70-year old woman who was allegedly robbed of a necklace and other items at Luqa, one week after the first reported theft.

Mangion requested bail, with his lawyer, Alfred Abela, arguing that CCTV footage of the alleged incidents was preserved in the records of the case, thus reducing the risk of tampering with evidence.

The prosecution objected to the request, pointing out that the accused had allegedly breached earlier bail decrees.

Magistrate Neville Camilleri turned down the request, in view of the nature of the charges, the fact that the accused had been charged with relapsing and the fear that bail conditions might not be adhered to.

Upon a request by the defence lawyer, the court recommended that the accused be detained at the forensic unit.

Inspectors Sarah Zerafa and Paul Camilleri prosecuted.