Unemployed man admits to robbing woman of €700 in Valletta

A man’s reluctance to ask his family for financial help has landed him with a conviction for theft after he admitted to having robbed a woman of €700.

Inspectors Daryl Borg and Kevin Pulis arraigned Englishman Callym Glenn Michael Hoddy, 25, before magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, on charges of theft aggravated by value, handling stolen goods and carrying a knife in public without the required licence.

The charges relate to the theft of €700 in cash from a woman in Valletta at around 3am this morning and reflect the fact that at the time of his arrest, the police had found a knife in Hoddy’s bag although this was not used during the robbery.

No other details of the crime emerged during the arraignment because Hoddy, who told the court that he had been living in Malta since December, immediately admitted the charges when the court’s registrar asked him what he would be pleading. 

In his submissions on punishment, Inspector Borg informed the court that Hoddy had cooperated with the police and that most of the stolen cash had been retrieved.

Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett, appointed as legal aid defence counsel, submitted that the amount stolen was minimal and had been repaid. 

The magistrate, however, expressed concern at the fact that the accused had no fixed place of residence and was unemployed, saying that she didn’t want him to resort to crime again due to lack of money.

Hoddy told the court that he already had a hostel stay booked until Monday and was currently looking for a job. The magistrate asked him what he would do if he couldn’t find a job. “I could ask my family for financial help,” replied the accused, explaining that he hadn’t done so before because he had been reluctant to admit to his family that he had financial problems.

Asked the reason for his presence in Malta, in view of his apparent lack of ties, Hoddy explained that he had come to Malta as his ex-girlfriend is Maltese. He told the court that he had no money and would have to ask his grandmother to pay any fine imposed. “I wish I could give you an option, but…I’d have to ask my grandmother,” he said.

The sitting was suspended in order to give the man some time to arrange for the transfer of funds.

When the case resumed, the court proceeded to sentencing. Hoddy was handed a three-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay a €120 fine.