Supermarket thief told police he stole shaver and socks ‘to feed himself’

A man who stole items from a St. Julians supermarket told the police that he intended to sell them as he needed money to buy food.

46-year-old Darko Tomeski from Macedonia, was arraigned under arrest before magistrate Gabriella Vella on Monday, charged with stealing an electric shaver and five pairs of socks from the shop.

Police Inspector Keith Xerri, prosecuting, told the court that supermarket staff had noticed some missing items and had suspected Tomeski from CCTV footage.

After once again spotting the accused acting suspiciously in the supermarket the following day, the police had been called in. Tomeski, who was staying at a hostel in St. Julians, was found to have the stolen items in his possession and had returned them.

The inspector added that the accused had told the police that he had sold the shaver as he needed money to buy food and that the crime had been a one-off.

Lawyer Josette Sultana, who was appointed legal aid counsel, submitted that the accused had cooperated with the police from the moment he had been arrested. He had also returned the stolen socks and had expressed his willingness to find a job so as to reimburse the supermarket for the stolen item.

The court, noting the accused had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and that the value of the stolen item was €60, sentenced him to imprisonment for three months. The sentence was suspended for one year in view of early guilty plea and the fact that this was Tomeski’s first conviction.