Jesmond Cassar, 39, from Cospicua, was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to breaching his bail conditions when he left Mater Dei Hospital, where he had been taken for treatment from Mount Carmel Hospital.

Mr Cassar explained in court that he had left because he did not want to go back to the ward where he was placed at the psychiatric hospital because he had been subjected to sexual advances from another patient.

His lawyer, Mark Mifsud Cutajar insisted that he was with a nurse and was in no way under arrest when he left the hospital. He said the conditions on which he was granted bail last week for allegedly possessing drugs in prison bound him to receive drug rehabilitation treatment at Mount Carmel. He was not under arrest, so much so that he did not have any policemen with him.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras postponed the case to Monday for judgment and in the meantime turned down his request for bail.

Mr Cassar was wanted by the police yesterday evening and was found at around 2am this morning in Marsa.