Man under suspended sentence steals over €2,000 in cash from delivery trucks

A thief has been jailed for five years after admitting to stealing over €2,000 in cash from three delivery trucks in Mellieħa while under a suspended sentence.

42-year-old Dusan Penzes, a Serbian man residing in Mellieħa was arraigned before Magistrate Charmaine Galea on Thursday, accused of aggravated theft of €1,600 cash from one supplier in Mellieħa on August 8 and another aggravated theft of three mobiles worth around €700 from another deliveryman in that town, four days prior. 

Another charge of aggravated theft - this time of a pouch containing keys, relates to October 6, in Mellieħa. Penzes was further charged with breaching a suspended sentence he had been handed in March this year.

Penzes, who told the court that he was unemployed, pleaded guilty to the charges.

In their submissions on punishment, the prosecution requested a five-year sentence. The court pointed out to the defendant that he could be facing a much longer sentence.

After giving the defendant several minutes to reconsider, he confirmed his admission of guilt.

The court handed down a sentence of imprisonment for 60 months - 44 months for the theft charges, together with reactivation of the 16-month sentence which had previously been suspended.

Police inspectors Ryan Vella and Warren Galea prosecuted, assisted by lawyer Joseph Camilleri Azarov from the Office of the Attorney General.

Lawyer Julia Micallef Stafrace represented the defendant as legal aid.