Youth arrested with 31 bags of cocaine admits to aggravated possession

A 19-year-old factory worker arrested yesterday with 31 sachets of drugs in his car is to be sentenced on Monday after he pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of cocaine and crack cocaine.

Before magistrate Charmaine Galea, inspector Jeffrey Scicluna explained how Aidan Bartolo was arrested just after midnight yesterday in Floriana. Police in a passing patrol car had noticed the accused talking on his mobile phone in a car. His body language raised suspicion and police tried to stop him, but the man drove off, running a red light in the process, before being arrested a few hundred metres down the road.

Five mobile phones were found in Bartolo's car, together with 31 sachets on his person, the inspector said. 12 sachets contained what police suspect to be cocaine, with the rest thought to contain crack cocaine.

Bartolo, who is just a month shy of his 20th birthday, is understood to have been convicted of theft in November and had been out on bail in connection with a second robbery a month later.

He had been jailed for two weeks in February for failing to abide by his bail conditions and had served this sentence.

Charges of breaching bail and committing an offence during the operative period of a suspended sentence were also issued against the youth.

After consulting with the defendant, defence lawyer Veronique Dalli entered a guilty plea on behalf of the 19-year-old. She asked for the release of the vehicle, which belonged to the accused's father. The police did not object to this request.

Dalli took issue with the prosecution's suggestion that the accused had not cooperated with the police. The lawyer argued that there were some questions that he didn't want to answer. “He was cordial, didn't resist arrest and cooperated with the court. I'm not condoning what he did, but just because he didn't answer two or three questions, this doesn't mean that he didn't cooperate with the police.”

The court announced that it would be passing sentence on Monday, until which time the accused would be held at a young offenders facility.

Dean Hili is also appearing for the accused.