Homeless man handed suspended sentence after stealing money from church collection box

A homeless man has admitted to stealing money from a church collection box.

In an arraignment before magistrate Doreen Clarke this morning, Inspector Ritianne Gauci charged Ihor Cardaci, a 31-year-old homeless and unemployed Ukrainian man with theft and voluntary damage.

The 19 August theft was aggravated by time, means and place.

Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett, appearing as legal aid to the accuse, informed the court that the man was pleading guilty.

She explained that he had arrived in Malta in 2018 and had lost his job, ending up unemployed. He had entered the chapel of St. Theresa in Birkirkara and stole a small amount of money, she said. He had later approached the parish priest and confessed to having stolen the money, promising to return it.

He had repeated his admission to the police.

The lawyer highlighted that the accused had demonstrated remorse, describing it as a positive step.

Inspector Gauci informed the court that the prosecution was not insisting on a custodial sentence.

In view of his guilty plea, Cardaci was sentenced to 16 months suspended for 3 years.