Necklace-grabbing thief targeted elderly woman while on bail

A court has denied bail to a man accused of carrying out a “snatch and grab” theft from an 82-year-old woman from Hamrun.

Tony Zammit, 43, from Qormi was arraigned before magistrate Josette Demicoli on Thursday morning on charges which included theft, which was aggravated by means and value.

Zammit is understood to have been out on bail pending an appeal against a jail sentence he received last year in connection with a string of similar thefts, all targeting elderly women.

Police Inspectors Lydon Zammit and Stephen Gulia told the court that Zammit had stolen the items of jewellery from his 82-year-old victim in Triq Cordina Perez, Hamrun. The incident took place on Monday afternoon, at around 1:15pm.

Zammit, who was also accused of breaching two sets of bail conditions and recidivism, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defence lawyer Daniel Attard requested bail, but this was denied in view of the fact that the accused was a recidivist and was deemed untrustworthy.