Man placed under supervision order after admitting to string of thefts

A 63-year-old man has been placed under a supervision order, and handed a suspended sentence, after he admitted to having committed several thefts, dating back to September.

Police inspector Ritienne Gauci arraigned the Marsaskala resident before magistrate Gabriella Vella on Tuesday, accusing him of stealing an air compressor, a horse box, several items of farming equipment and a boat. The court was told that the items had been stolen between September 2021 and April 2022. 

Lawyer Christopher Chircop, defence counsel together with lawyer Franco Galea, entered a guilty plea on behalf of the accused, who he said, suffered from a mental health condition.

After giving the accused time to reconsider his plea, the court declared the man guilty of the charges and sentenced him to two years in prison. However, in view of his early admission of guilt and other factors, the court suspended his sentence for four years.

The man was also placed under a four-year supervision order.