Man conditionally discharged after stealing €700 worth of meat from local supermarket

A 49-year-old Albanian national residing in Floriana was conditionally discharged for two years after admitting to stealing approximately €700 worth of meat on eight separate occasions over a span of three months.

The court heard on Sunday how Klodjan Ranci, who was caught in the act on Saturday, stole from Smart Supermarket in Balzan between February and the day of his apprehension. 

The court was informed by Police Inspector Ritienne Gauci that CCTV footage played a crucial role in capturing the defendant.

The accused confessed to stealing the food items once in February and April, with an additional six thefts taking place throughout May, including consecutive days.

According to the inspector's testimony, Ranci concealed the stolen items, which he had ordered from the butcher, inside his bag. 

Upon reaching the checkout, he deliberately neglected to place them on the conveyor belt for payment.

The inspector said that although she had checked the conviction sheet which seems clean, she could not provide the court with a copy because there was no electricity at the police depot. 

During the proceedings, lawyers Franco Debono and Karl Micallef stated that their client had acknowledged the charges, just as he had done in his police statement. 

According to the lawyers, Ranci promptly reimbursed the supermarket for the full value of the stolen goods, cooperated fully with law enforcement, and confessed at the earliest opportunity.

Taking into account these factors, Magistrate Leonard Caruana granted the defence's request for a conditional discharge, ruling that Ranci would be conditionally discharged for a period of two years.