Thief who stole parish priest's mobile phone gets 18 months jail

A man who was accused with a string of crimes, including the theft of a parish priest's mobile phone has been jailed for 18 months.

John Bugeja, 49, from Żebbuġ, Gozo, was charged before Magistrate Joe Mifsud with attempted aggravated theft of objects from a restaurant, criminal damage, aggravated theft of the Kerċem parish priest’s mobile phone, handling stolen goods, begging in public, theft of a gas cylinder, aggravated theft of cash, illegal arrest, carrying a knife in public without a police permit, threatening people with arms improper, trespassing, breaching two sets of bail conditions and recidivism.

The thefts took place over the span of five days in late October and early November 2018.

Bugeja was accused of stealing a gas cylinder from outside a residence in Żebbuġ in October that year. The following afternoon, the suspect allegedly robbed a man of cash at knifepoint inside his home at Rabat. Later that same evening, a mobile phone belonging to the Kerċem parish priest went missing. Bugeja was also linked to a late-night attempted break-in at a Victoria restaurant a few days later. 

Bugeja chose not to testify during the proceedings.

The court noted that a number of charges were later dropped or merged and that the victims had all forgiven the accused after he had formally apologised. The stolen mobile phone had also been returned to the Kerċem parish priest, observed the magistrate, finding Bugeja guilty of the remaining charges of begging, the gas cylinder theft, aggravated theft of cash, threats and trespassing and jailed him for 18 months.

Inspector Josef Gauci prosecuted.