By Tashieka Mair, Star Writer

Frequent visitor to the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court, Keith Vidal, will remain in police custody until his July 27 trial for two counts of housebreaking and larceny and malicious destruction of property.

Vidal, who lives in Flankers, St. James, was told on Monday when he appeared before RM Winsome Henry that a warrant was also to be served on him for an outstanding matter of a similar nature in 2004. He failed to turn up for his court dates.

Vidal told the court that he had no knowledge about a warrant as he has always attended court. He also said that he was not guilty of the current charges levelled against him.

But RM Henry ordered that he remained in custody as he had committed one of the offences while on bail in relation to the other case.

Vidal was acquitted in March for housebreaking and found himself before the court two weeks later for a similar offence. He was on bail when he committed the last offence in which he was set upon by the complainant's neighbours and beaten.

For the previous charge, he was actually seen by a police officer exiting the complainant's house through a window. A fan and several female undergarments were allegedly recovered from him.

Allegations in the new matter are that on June 7 the complainant locked her home at Leaders Avenue, Montego Bay, before leaving. She returned later that day and realised that her door lock had been broken.

After allegedly seeing a man coming from inside the house clutching a knife, she called out to her son who lived in the same yard and shouted 'thief'. The man ran and the complainant and her son got into their car and gave chase. Other persons in the area also allegedly chased the man.

He was later caught by the complainant's son and was later handed over to the police on Sewell Avenue.

When the complainant returned home, she observed that her $22,000 Sony Ericsson cellular phone was missing.

Under caution, Vidal allegedly told the police that he knew what to say in court, and opted to forego representation from a lawyer, preferring to defend himself.