Pembroke’s deputy mayor Omar Elaref Arab has been granted bail in a criminal case he is facing.

Arab stands accused of threatening his mother and causing her to fear him, after she filed a police report against him, saying he has a drug addiction problem and is aggressive.

He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on April 25.

On Thursday, his mother told the court that she and her son had spent days trying to get him medical help at the Gzira Health Centre, but were turned away.

The following morning, she tried to wake him up to go to Mater Dei Hospital, but he refused to wake up and things got heated.

Arab’s mother said her son threw a lampshade and mobile phone at the wall, and that she subsequently left the room and called emergency services. She could then hear objects being broken, though she could not see who was breaking them.

The accused’s girlfriend, who asked not to testify but was required to, confirmed that the accused was unwilling to get out of bed that morning. She said she went out onto the veranda as the argument got heated. There, she heard something break in the room, but did not see what it was.

The accused’s father chose not to testify.

Following Thursday’s testimony, Arab’s new lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Adreana Zammit filed a request for bail. Given that key witnesses had already testified, the Attorney General did not object.

The court granted the accused bail against a €1,000 deposit and €4,000 personal guarantee. He must also respect a curfew between 9pm and 6am, sign a bail book four times a week at the Valletta police station and stay away from witnesses in the case.