A suspect mugger who was granted bail last week on condition of joining a drug rehabilitation programme, landed back behind bars on Monday after allegedly returning to past habits.

Daniele Aquilina, 28 of Ta’ Xbiex, had been granted bail pending proceedings over a string of armed robberies in  Paceville last October, when four victims were held up at knifepoint.

But last Saturday he was back under arrest for having allegedly held up two women while they were walking along the Ta’ Xbiex seafront on Wednesday night.

Aquilina, armed with a knife, had allegedly threatened his victims, slightly injuring one of them, before running off with a bag belonging to one of the women.

He was also charged over another botched hold-up just before midnight at Ġnien il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa, Ta' Xbiex, shortly before the other hold up in the same locality.

The victim of that failed robbery was a foreign national.

Aquilina was further charged with stealing a mobile phone from a Ta’ Xbiex residence on Wednesday afternoon.

On Thursday, he allegedly defrauded the owner of an IT store by presenting a forged cheque, stolen from one of his previous victims.

He was also charged with stealing tools from his relatives’ home, breaching bail and relapsing.

Police who searched the suspect’s home after the arrest, found some of the items related to the thefts.

Aquilina pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras.

No request for bail was made.

Inspectors Lydon Zammit, Colin Sheldon and Stephen Gulia prosecuted.

Lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar assisted the accused at the arraignme