Fake landlord repays victims, conditionally discharged

A fraud who convinced seven persons to pay rent deposits on a flat which wasn’t hers was conditionally discharged after admitting to the charges.

46-year-old Sandra Cachia from Vittoriosa had been arraigned under arrest last November, charged with defrauding the would-be tenants out of a total of just under €3,000.

During that arraignment, prosecuting police inspector Christabelle Chetcuti had told the court Cachia had been investigated after the police received a report that the accused had been advertising a flat for rent on Facebook, pocketing the deposit and then vanishing. 

Between 19 and 22 September, Cachia had defrauded seven victims, who then filed a police report. She was eventually apprehended and taken into custody in early November.

Cachia's lawyer, Emmy Bezzina, had told the court that the woman was suffering from mental and physical health issues and had a problematic relationship with her 80-year-old father, who was described in court as controlling and strict.

Despite initially denying the charges, Cachia later changed her plea and filed an admission, having also refunded her victims their deposits.

The Court of Magistrates presided by magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona conditionally discharged the woman for a period of one year.