Caritas escapee admits to theft

A court will tomorrow decide the fate of a prison inmate, who pleaded guilty to theft and escaping from a Caritas rehabilitation programme.

Oivend Xuereb, 30, originally from Floriana, was arraigned before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit by police inspectors Carlos Cordina and Jason Francis Sultana and charged with aggravated theft of valuables from a hotel in Paceville late Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to the theft charge, Xuereb was accused of disobeying a legitimate order issued by a public authority, breaching the peace and escaping from the Caritas Prison Inmates Programme. The court noted that he is also a relapser.

The accused has a history of theft convictions, having been jailed for four years and six months in 2011 after pleading guilty to 14 counts of theft. By the time that sentence had been delivered, however, he was already serving a separate sentence for car theft.

Xuereb has been remanded in custody pending the delivery of his sentence tomorrow.