No bail for Valletta man charged with cash, jewellery thefts

A court has ordered the remanding in custody of a man accused of stealing cash and jewellery, as well as breaching bail.

47-year-old Patrick Mangion from Valletta appeared in the dock before magistrate Neville Camilleri this morning. Inspectors Sarah Zerafa and Paul Camilleri accused the man of stealing cash from a property in Vjal Simmons, Tarxien on 2 November, which charge was aggravated by place and value.

He was also charged with stealing a necklace and other objects from a 70-year-old man in Luqa on 9 November. That charge was also aggravated by place and value.

Mangion was additionally charged with breaching various bail conditions.

His lawyer, Alfred Abela told the court his client was pleading not guilty and requested bail. The request was contested by the prosecution, on the grounds that the man had allegedly breached previous bail decrees.

Abela told the court that he understood that there was CCTV footage of the incidents, which was already preserved in the acts of the case and so he could not tamper with evidence.

Magistrate Neville Camilleri said that the nature of the charges, in particular that of breaching bail, as well as the fact that the accused is charged with recidivism tipped the scale against the man’s release from arrest. Bail was denied in view of the fear that the accused would not adhere to his bail conditions.

Abela asked that the man be held at the forensic unit of CCF. The prosecution did not object. The court made a recommendation to the prisons director that this be done.