Homeless men admit to thefts, return stolen items

Two men who admitted to aggravated theft charges were handed suspended sentences after a court was told that they had returned all the stolen items.

Mitchel Ricardo Virginia, 27, from Holland and Rishil Rishkesh, 25, an Indian-born citizen of the UAE, were arraigned under arrest before magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo on Wednesday afternoon, accused of shoplifting from a supermarket and aggravated theft from a parked Land Rover in Balzan.

Inspector Christabel Chetcuti, prosecuting, also charged the men with living an idle and vagrant life and asked the court to order them to foot the expenses of appointing court experts in this case. The court was told that the accused had been sleeping rough in Birkirkara and Balzan for the past month.

The thefts took place in November.

Lawyer Josette Sultana, appearing as legal aid counsel to the accused, entered a guilty plea on behalf of the two men. She said that one of the accused did have an address, adding that there were “ways and means” for them to find accommodation, but they were simply not acquainted with what is available in Malta. “Jail is not the solution,” said the lawyer, asking for a punishment close to the minimum.

Inspector Chetcuti confirmed that the stolen items had all been returned directly to the owners by the accused.

The court, noting the early guilty plea and the return of the items stolen, found them guilty and sentenced them to 12 months in jail, suspended for three years.